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http://archive.org/details/evanstonitslandiOOreel 


EVANSTON 

Its  Land  and  Its  People 


Courtesy  of  Edgar  Carlisle  McMechen 

Dr.  John  Evans 
From  portrait  painted  about  1850 


EVANSTON 

Its  Land  and  Its  People 


By 
VIOLA  CROUCH  REELING 


EVANSTON,  ILLINOIS 

PUBLISHED  BY  FOKT  DEARBORN  CHAPTER 

DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION 

1928 


Copyright,  1928 

BY 

VIOLA  CROUCH  REELING 


Printed   in   U.  S.  A. 
By   W.    B.    Conkey   Co..    Hammond,    Ind. 


FOREWORD 


IN  1923,  during  the  regency  of  Mrs.  Warren  Williams, 
the  Board  of  Management  of  Foet  Dearborn  Chapter 
of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Eevolution  was 
asked  by  Miss  Edith  Moon,  librarian  in  the  Evanston 
Public  Library,  to  sponsor  the  publication  of  a  history 
of  Evanston,  as  there  was  no  book  on  early  Evanston, 
and  the  library  was  frequently  receiving  calls  for  one. 
As  the  preserving  of  records  is  part  of  the  work  of  the 
Society,  the  Board  decided  to  act  upon  Miss  Moon's 
suggestion. 

Mrs.  Julian  G.  Goodhue,  who  followed  Mrs.  Wil- 
liams in  office,  appointed  a  committee  with  Mrs.  John 
A.  Briggs  as  chairman,  to  do  the  research  work  for  the 
book.  In  April  of  1924  a  member  of  this  committee  was 
asked  to  write  the  book,  and  she  consented  on  condition 
that  she  be  allowed  to  do  her  own  research  work.  The 
writing  of  the  book  went  forward  under  the  regency  of 
Mrs.  Wilbur  Helm,  and  was  completed  after  Mrs.  Harry 
Ward  became  regent. 

The  book  is  not  a  history  in  the  accepted  sense  of 
the  word,  but  is  intended  to  be  a  narrative  with  historic 
value,  citing  great  events  and  small  happenings,  and,  ex- 
cept in  a  few  instances,  is  carried  only  to  the  year  of 
1900.  Various  persons,  who  are  recognized  authorities 
on  the  chapter  subjects,  have  been  consulted — among 
them  being  Professor  U.  S.  Grant,  Head  of  the  Geology 
and  Geography  Department  of  Northwestern  University ; 
Professor  Fay-Cooper  Cole,  Ethnologist,  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Chicago ;  Joseph  Thompson,  Editor  of  the  Illinois 


6  FOREWORD 

Catholic  Historical  Review;  J.  Seymour  Currey,  Presi- 
dent Emeritus  of  the  Evanston  Historical  Society;  the 
late  William  C.  Levere,  and  many  residents  of  long 
standing.  The  author  hereby  expresses  her  appreciation 
for  all  helpful  suggestions  and  kindly  criticisms. 

V.  C.  E. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    Development  of  the  Topography  of  Evanston     11 
II.    Various  Tribes  of  Indians  that  Occupied  this 

Territory 25 

III.  The  Last  Indians  Occupying  this  Territory  .     .     54 

IV.  Habits  and  Characteristics  of  the  Indian  ...     66 
V.    Indian  Treaties .91 

VI.  The  First  White  Men 103 

VII.  Grosse  Pointe 123 

VIII.  Pioneers  of  Grosse  Pointe 149 

IX.  The  Birth  of  Northwestern  University    .     .     .  185 

X.  The  New  University 195 

XI.  Succeeding  Years  of  the  University 205 

XII.  Garrett  Biblical  Institute 229 

XIII.  Early  Days  of  Evanston 238 

XIV.  Churches 261 

XV.  Churches  (Continued) 283 

XVI.     Schools:  Division  of  Districts.     History  of  Dis- 
trict No.  2 300 

XVII.    Schools  (Continued)  :  District  No.  1.  Village  High 

School.    Evanston  Township  High  School  .     .     .  315 

XVIII.    Libraries 330 

XIX.    Government 341 

XX.    Evanston 's  Thoroughfares 350 

XXI.    Transportation 371 

XXII.    Drainage,  Water  and  Light 389 

XXIII.  Publications 396 

XXIV.  Evanston  Parks 403 

XXV.    Evanston  in  the  Civil  War 408 

XXVI.     General  History  from  1870  to  1900 427 

Addenda 458 

References 467 


LIST  OP  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Avenue  House 244 

Bailey's  Opera   House 447 

Baird,  Robert 212 

Bancroft,  Jane  M 212 

Bates,  Thomas   451 

Beardsley,  Wilferd  F 328 

Beveridge,  Gen.  John  L 410 

Blackhawk    57 

Boltwood,  Henry  L 328 

Bonbright,  Daniel 212 

Buck-Eye  Hotel 170 

Buffalo  Hunt 87 

Burroughs,  Mrs.  Judith 152 

Cariiart.  Henry  S 212 

Chicago  Plain 12 

Chief,  Menominee,  with  Calumet  94 

Childs,   John  A 442 

Childs,  Rebecca  Roland 442 

Church,  First  M.  E 265 

Church,  Old  First  M.  E 2G5 

Coast  Guard  Station 253 

Cook,  Daniel  Pope 145 

Crain,  Charles 157 

Crain,  Ozro    152 

Crain,  Ozro,  Home  of 157 

Crain,  Mrs.  Sarah  Burroughs.  157 

Cummings,  Joseph   212 

Cumnock,  Robert  L 212 

Currey,  J.  Seymour 337 

Dempster  Hall 232 

Dempster,  The  Rev.  John 232 

Desk  Used  by  First  Postmaster.  .142 

Doyle,  John,  Home  of .134 

Dyche,   William  A 451 

Eggleston,  Edward   239 

Evans,  Dr.  John 2 

Evanston  Index,  The 397 

Evanston  Township  High  School. 325 

Fashions,   Early    251 

Fisk,    Herbert   F 212 

Fog  Whistle 43G 

Foster,  Mrs.   Mary 152 


PAGE 

Fountain,  Dedication   of 351 

Fountain,  Remodeled   352 

Gaffield,  Eli,  Home  of 162 

Gage,  Lyman  J 239 

Gamble,  Gen.  William 410 

Garrett,  Mrs.  Eliza 230 

Goodrich,  Grant 198 

Greenleaf,  Luther  L 337 

Gross   Point   Lighthouse 434 

Gymnasium  Building,  First 223 

Harbert,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 444 

Hatfield,  The  Rev.  Robt.  M..269 

Heck  Hall    223 

Hesler,  Alexander   239 

Hill,  Benjamin  F 152 

Hinman,  Dr.  Clark  Titus 198 

Hurd,  Harvey  B 239 

Ice-Sheet,  Greatest 14 

Indians',  Chippewa,  Pipe  Dance.   77 

Indians,  Menominee   94 

Joliet,  Louis   104 

Jones,  Prof.  William  P 207 

Judson,  The  Rev.  Philo 198 

Kellogg,  Julius 212 

Kline,  Simon  V 152 

Knudson,  Keeper  O.  H 435 

Lantern,  Fresnel,  in  Lighthouse.  .435 

LaSalle,  Robert  de 119 

Lawson,  Capt.  Lawrence  0...253 

Letter,  Indian   80 

Lunt,  Miss  Cornelia   444 

Lunt,  Orrington    186 

Mann,  Dr.  O.  H 451 

Marcy,  Oliver 212 

Marquette,  Jacques   104 

Memorial   Hall    223 

Medicine  Man,  Sioux 71 

Mulford,  Maj.  E.  H 152 

Mulford's  Tavern   142 

Mulligan,  Col.  James 410 

Nichols,  Frederick  W 312 

Northwestern  Female  College.  .  .  .207 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

No  yes,  The  Rev.  George  C 269 

Noyes,  Prof.  Henry  S 198 

Old  College    200 

Ouilmette,  Home  of 134 

Pearson,  Charles  W 212 

Pearsons,  Capt.  H.  A 410 

Pigeon,  Passenger 163 

Reed,  Samuel 152 

Round   House    245 

Rustic,  The  Old 367 

Sargent,  Miss  Celia 317 

School,  Dempster  Street,   1875.  .317 

School,  Hinman  Avenue 317 

School,  Oakton,  Sketch  of 301 

Schoolhouse,  Old,  Representation. 301 

Sewell,  Alfred  L 397 

Shabbona    57 

Simpson,  Bishop  Matthew  ....  269 


page 

Sioux  Woman   71 

Smyth,  The  Rev.  H.  P 284 

Snyder  Farm-House 170 

Squaws  and  Papooses,  Chippewa  48 

Squaws  Gathering  Rice 85 

Stage-coach  and  Office  Building.  .127 

Tonti,  Henry  de 119 

Tree  Base,  Potawatomi 61 

Tree,  Potawatomi 61 

Tree,  Trail   61 

University  Hall 216 

Water  Works  Tower,  South 

Evanston    393 

Wheadon,  The  Rev.  E.  D 269 

White,  Gen.  Julius 410 

Willard,  Frances  and  Mary.. 210 

Willard,  Frances  E 221 

Willard  Home,  The 210 


Only  by  looking  backward  can  we  appreciate 
today  and  look  forward  with  an  open  mind 


Chapter  I 

DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  TOPOGRAPHY 
OF  EVANSTON 

EVANSTON,  the  gem  suburb  of  one  of  the  greatest 
cities  in  the  world,  owes  much  of  its  wonderful 
development  and  rapid  growth  to  its  location  along 
Lake  Michigan,  and  Lake  Michigan  owes  its  chief  char- 
acteristics to  the  great  ice-sheets  of  the  glacial  period, 
which  moved  over  and  covered  for  thousands  of  years 
a  large  portion  of  North  America,  the  glacial  period 
taking  its  turn  with  other  periods  in  preparing  this 
continent  for  our  habitation.  The  last  and  greatest 
ice-sheet,  4,000,000  square  miles  in  area  and  over  a  mile 
in  thickness,  disappeared,  it  is  estimated,  about  25,000 
years  ago.  It  is  evident  that  prior  to  the  glacial  period, 
many  millions  of  years  ago,  the  sea  covered  this  region. 

In  the  geography  of  a  region,  in  its  stones  and  rocks, 
in  the  material  that  goes  to  make  up  its  surface  and  the 
various  strata  beneath  the  surface — in  these,  all  of 
these,  the  trained  eye  of  the  geologist  reads  the  history 
of  that  region,  for  each  successive  period  leaves  its 
trace;  and  so,  in  order  to  learn  how  the  present  topog- 
raphy of  Evanston  developed,  we,  too,  must  consider 
these  things. 

The  trend  of  the  ridges  in  Evanston  was  the  decid- 
ing factor  in  the  shaping  of  the  town,  as  the  ridges  were 
the  places  of  location  of  the  first  settlers  of  this  region. 
These  ridges  had  their  beginning  in  the  glacial  period; 


12 


EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


therefore  it  is  necessary  to  go  back  thousands  of  years 
to  find  how  they  were  built. 

THE  CHICAGO  PLAIN  AND  ITS  BOKDERING  MOEAINE 

Evanston  is  situated  on  part  of  the  great  Chicago 
Plain,  which  is  an  imperfectly  shaped  crescent.  This 
plain  extends  from  Lake  Michigan  on  the  east  to  a  ridge 
or  belt  of  high  land  running  from  Winnetka  on  the 
north,  southwest  through  Galewood  and  La  Grange,  then 


CHICAGO  PLAIN 

ITS  mUKOVNOIHOt, 
TUC     UM1MAOCO  «M  WAS 


LAK£.   CH/CAGO 
At  Tie  r/nr  tr  irs 

CUtATfir       CIPANHOH. 


Courtesy  of  The  Geographic  Society  of  Chicago 

Chicago  Plain  and  Its 
Surroundings 


on  southeast  through  Dyer,  Indiana.  There  it  takes  a 
northeasterly  direction.  The  plain's  greatest  width  is 
fifteen  miles,  in  the  direction  southwest  from  the  city  of 
Chicago. 


TOPOGRAPHY  OF  EVANSTON  13 

As  the  plain  leaves  the  shoreline  of  the  lake,  it  rises 
gradually  to  the  west  and  southwest,  until  it  reaches  a 
nearly  uniform  height  of  sixty  feet  above  the  lake,  the 
level  of  the  lake  being  581  feet(1)  above  mean  tide  level 
in  the  New  York  harbor.  At  this  height  of  sixty  feet 
the  plain  ends,  as  there  is  an  abrupt  rise  in  the  land 
to  the  west  and  southwest,  where  the  topography  is  roll- 
ing. The  surface  of  this  higher  land  continues  to  rise 
until  it  reaches  an  altitude  of  about  two  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  lake,  where  it  begins  to  slope 
downward  toward  the  west,  southwest  and  south.  This 
high,  rolling  land  forms  the  broad,  ridgelike  belt,  which 
encloses  the  plain  on  its  west,  southwest  and  south 
border,  and  is  a  great  glacial  moraine,  formed  by 
glacial  drift.  It  is  named  Valparaiso  Moraine,  after 
the  city  of  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  which  is  situated  upon 
it. 

THE  GLACIAL  PERIOD 

The  Glacial  Period  was  the  time  when  ice  covered 
a  large  portion  of  North  America  and  it  left  proofs  of 
its  existence  in  its  drift  deposits,  which  are  found  in 
the  Chicago  Plain.  The  bordering  moraine  of  the  plain 
is  composed  entirely  of  glacial  drift. 

As  a  considerable  portion  of  the  drift  deposits  in 
the  plain  consists  of  material  too  coarse  and  too  heavy 
to  have  been  carried  by  water,  it  must  have  been  de- 
posited by  another  agent,  and  that  agent,  we  find,  was 
ice,  and  that  ice  —  glacial  ice.  We  are  told  further 
that  deposits  made  by  water  differ  from  glacial 
deposits,  being  stratified  and  assorted,  whereas  glacial 


(1)  The  average  level  of  the  State  of  Illinois  is  600  feet  above  sea  level;  the 
entire  valley  of  the  Illinois  river,  with  all  its  towns  and  cities,  is  considerably 
below  lake  level. 


14         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

deposits  are,  for  the  most  part,  a  heterogeneous  mix- 
ture. 

The  Glacial  Period  came  into  existence  through 
climatic  changes  to  arctic  conditions,  and  consisted  of 
several  epochs,  glacial  and  interglacial.  During  the 
interglacial  epochs,  the  climate  was  less  severe  and  the 


Plate  Showing  Area  Covered 
By  the  Greatest  Ice-Sheet 

Black  portion  shows  driftless  area 

ice   diminished   in   area,   or  it   may  have   disappeared 
entirely. 

Geologists  explain  the  forming  of  a  glacier  in  some- 
what the  following  manner.  The  snowfall  of  a  region 
might  become  so  great  winter  after  winter  that  each 


TOPOGRAPHY  OF  EVANSTON  15 

summer's  warmth  could  not  melt  all  of  the  winter's 
snowfall.  In  this  way,  the  depth  of  the  snow  would 
increase  from  year  to  year.  The  pressure  of  the  weight 
of  the  overlying  mass  of  snow  would  compact  the  lower 
portion  into  ice.  Moreover,  there  would  be  a  tendency 
on  the  part  of  the  overlying  portion  of  snow  to  push  out 
the  lower  portion  of  the  mass,  which  would,  of  necessity, 
spread  in  all  directions,  encroaching  on  the  surrounding 
areas.  Ice  moving  in  this  manner  is  called  glacial  ice, 
and  the  manner  of  moving,  glacial  motion. 

As  bits  of  timber,  vegetable  mold,  beds  of  peat  and 
even  large  trees  have  been  found  in  the  drift,  it  is  evident 
that,  as  the  glacier  advanced,  it  incorporated  these  things 
in  its  mass  and  carried  them  along.  It  also  carried  with 
it  and  deposited  bowlders  and  clay  irregularly  over  the 
land,  filling  in  valleys  and  building  up  dams;  digging 
into  the  rock,  broadening  river-valleys  and  depositing 
drift  around  their  sides,  thus  modifying  the  great  basins, 
which  the  Great  Lakes  now  occupy;  leaving  irregular 
smaller  basins,  wherein  lie  the  smaller  lakes  to  the  north, 
northeast  and  northwest  of  Evanston.  In  its  course,  it 
carried  millions  of  tons  of  rock  and  clay,  grinding  to- 
gether bowlders  and  small  stones,  and  also  rubbing  them 
against  the  solid  rock,  making  grooves  which  show 
plainly  the  direction  from  which  the  glacier  came.  In 
this  way,  in  its  southward  journey,  it  wrote  its  own 
autograph,  proving  just  how  far  it  reached  in  different 
parts  of  the  country  —  as  far  south  as  the  Ohio  river, 
and  New  York  City  in  the  east,  and  nearly  to  the 
Missouri  river  and  to  northeastern  Kansas  in  the 
west. 

The  ice  covered  the  highest  mountains  in  the  north- 


16         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

eastern  United  States.  Therefore  the  depth  of  the 
glacier  must  have  been,  at  least,  a  little  over  a  mile. 

The  great  bowlders  found  in  such  abundance  in  Wis- 
consin, and  less  abundantly  in  this  region  are  similar 
to  formations  of  rock  found  around  Lakes  Superior  and 
Huron  and  other  points  to  the  north  and  northeast,  a 
condition  which  proves  the  great  distances  these  bowlders 
were  transported  by  the  glacier. 

Small  stones  carried  and  deposited  by  a  glacier  are 
often  found  to  be  grooved  or  ' '  striated ' '  in  several  direc- 
tions on  the  same  side.  This  is  the  result  of  their  hav- 
ing been  held  firmly  by  the  weight  above  them  against 
the  hard  surface  of  the  bed-rock  and  grooved,  then 
turned  and  marked  by  the  making  of  fresh  " striae.' ' 
The  bed-rock,  being  stationary,  has  grooves  running  in 
one  direction  only,  the  direction  of  the  glacier's  motion. 
Stones  of  glacier  transporting  may  also  be  found  that 
are  perfectly  rounded  and  polished. 

In  the  regions  over  which  the  glacier  passed,  there 
is  abundant  water  power  to-day,  such  as  water-falls 
and  rapids.  These  are  less  common  in  regions  not 
glaciated. 

SIZE  OF  LAKE  MICHIGAN'S  BASIN  DUE  TO  THE  ICE  SHEETS 

We  learn  that  the  development  of  the  basin  of  Lake 
Michigan  was,  in  part,  the  result  of  the  work  of  the  ice- 
sheets. 

It  is  believed  that  long  ago  a  north-south  river- 
valley  extended  along  the  axis  of  the  basin  of  Lake 
Michigan,  which  the  ice-sheets  broadened  and  deepened ; 
on  melting,  they  left  great  deposits  of  drift  along  its 
eastern  and  western  sides  and  a  few  miles  to  the  south 


TOPOGRAPHY  OF  EVANSTON  17 

of  the  southern  end  of  the  lake,  thus  helping  change  the 
river-valley  into  a  basin  great  enough  for  a  lake. 

THE  BEDROCK  OF  THE  CHICAGO  PLAIN  AND  ITS  DRIFT 

MANTLE 

Solid  rock  forms  the  whole  outer  shell  of  the  earth ; 
therefore,  it  follows  that  rock  forms  the  sub-structure 
of  the  Chicago  Plain. 

The  loose  earth  made  up  of  sand,  clay,  gravel  and 
bowlders  lying  on  the  bed-rock  or  sub-structure  of  the 
plain  is  called  drift  and  is  of  glacial  origin. 

The  composition  of  the  bed-rock  of  the  plain  is 
limestone,  called  Niagara  limestone,  as  it  is  believed  to 
be  of  the  same  age  as  the  limestone  at  Niagara  Falls, 
which,  we  learn,  belongs  to  the  later  part  of  the  Silurian 
Period,  the  third  of  the  seven  long  periods  that  make 
up  the  Paleozoic  Era.  This  was  the  first  era,  so  far  as 
is  known,  when  there  was  abundant  marine  life. 

Wherever  limestone  is  seen  in  the  Chicago  area, 
imperfect  shells,  parts  of  shells,  corals,  and  crinoid  stems 
are  found,  thus  proving  that  the  sea  covered  this  region 
when  they  were  formed,  as  they  are  somewhat  similar 
to  those  being  formed  in  the  ocean  to-day.  Further- 
more, the  sea  was  probably  shallow,  as  corals  do  not 
flourish  in  deep  waters. 

If  we  could  look  on  the  surface  of  the  rock  beneath 
the  drift  on  the  Chicago  Plain,  we  would  find  this  sur- 
face very  uneven;  that  is,  high  in  some  places  and  low 
in  others.  We  would  also  find  the  top  very  irregular, 
showing  the  effects  of  erosion  by  atmosphere  and  water. 
The  lowest  level  of  the  rock  surface  is  a  half  mile  north 
of  the  juncture  of  the  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago  river 
with  the  South  Branch,  this  level  being  one  hundred 


18         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

twenty-four  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  lake.  From 
this  point  the  rock  surface  rises  gradually  toward  the 
borders  of  the  plain,  with  many  undulations,  and  con- 
tinues rising  under  the  moraine  belt  to  the  north,  west 
and  south,  with  some  exposures  of  the  rock  surface 
through  the  drift  mantle,  until  it  reaches  an  elevation 
of  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  ten  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  lake. 

The  thickness  of  the  drift  mantle  varies,  averaging 
in  the  plain  fifty  feet,  and  in  the  bordering  moraine  one 
hundred  Mty  feet.  Therefore  the  elevation  of  the  land 
around  the  Chicago  Plain  is  due  both  to  the  rise  in  the 
surface  of  the  rock  and  to  the  greater  thickness  of  its 
drift  mantle. 

Good  exposures  of  drift  may  be  seen  along  the  lake 
bluff  from  Evanston  northward. 

DRAINAGE 

The  drainage  of  the  Chicago  Plain  is  in  a  south- 
westerly direction  from  Chicago.  Traversing  the  broad 
moraine  belt  is  the  Des  Plaines  valley,  through  which 
the  Des  Plaines  river  flows.  Here,  too,  are  the  Illinois- 
Michigan  canal  and  the  Drainage  canal.  This  valley  is 
from  thirty  to  one  hundred  feet  deep,  with  abrupt  slopes, 
which  are  one-half  mile  to  one  and  a  quarter  miles  wide. 
The  floor  of  the  valley  is  nearly  flat  and  is  joined  by 
another  valley  southwest  of  the  city  of  Chicago,  which 
is  known  as  the  Sag.  The  floors  of  the  two  valleys  join 
the  floor  of  the  Chicago  Plain,  forming  the  outlet  for 
drainage  from  the  plain  southwest  across  the  moraine 
belt  to  the  Mississippi  river  system  and  thence  to  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico. 


TOPOGRAPHY  OF  EVANSTON  19 

There  was  a  rise  of  less  than  fifteen  feet,  before  the 
Drainage  canal  was  made,  from  the  level  of  the  lake  to 
the  divide,  which  separated  the  waters  that  flowed  into 
the  great  St.  Lawrence  from  the  waters  that  flowed  into 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  lake,  therefore,  barely  escaped 
drainage  into  the  Mississippi  river  system. (2) 

During  spring  floods  or  heavy  rains  the  Des  Plaines 
river  discharged  its  waters  through  both  the  South 
Branch  of  the  Chicago  river  into  Lake  Michigan  through 
the  St.  Lawrence  system,  and  down  its  own  normal  chan- 
nel, to  the  Illinois  river,  then  on  to  the  Mississippi  Eiver. 

LAKE  CHICAGO 

We  can  scarcely  realize  that  where  our  beautiful 
city  of  Evanston  now  stands,  there  was  once  nothing 
but  water,  a  great  lake  of  water  that  covered  not  only 
our  region,  but  where  Chicago  and  some  of  the  towns 
to  the  north,  west,  southwest,  and  south  stand  to-day. 
This  great  body  of  water  has  been  given  the  name  of 
Lake  Chicago. 

The  basin  of  Lake  Chicago  had  the  Valparaiso 
moraine  on  one  side  and  the  ice-front  on  the  other.  The 
last  ice-sheet,  or  continental  ice-sheet  as  it  was  called, 
remained  thousands  of  years.  When  climatic  conditions 
became  such  that  the  edge  of  the  ice  melted  faster  than 
the  ice  advanced,  the  ice-sheet  began  its  final  retreat. 
When  the  edge  of  the  ice-sheet  retreated  northeast  of  the 
Valparaiso  moraine,  the  water  from  the  melting  snow 
and  ice  and  from  rain-fall  flooded  the  basin  or  depres- 
sion between  the  ice  edge  or  ice-front  and  the  Valparaiso 

(2)  Joliet,  over  two  centuries  ago,  considered  the  Chicago  Portage  of  great 
importance  and  said  a  canal  cut  through  from  the  Lake  of  the  Illinois  (Lake- 
Michigan)  to  the  river  that  empties  into  the  Mississippi,  half  a  league  in  length,, 
would  make  it  possible  to  go  from  Lake  Erie  to  the  Mississippi  by  water. 


20  EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

moraine  and  made  Lake  Chicago.  As  the  ice-front 
melted  —  that  is,  retreated  to  the  north  —  Lake  Chicago 
increased  in  size. 

The  waters  in  this  depression  rose  until  they  reached 
the  lowest  point  in  the  Valparaiso  moraine,  sixty  feet 
above  the  level  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  then  overflowed 
to  the  southwest  through  the  region  which  the  Des 
Plaines  valley  and  the  Sag  now  occupy.  This  is  known 
as  the  Chicago  outlet.  The  sides  of  this  valley,  near 
Lemont,  rise  forty  to  sixty  feet  above  the  valley  floor, 
this  height  being  about  on  a  level  with  the  waters  of 
Lake  Chicago,  when  they  were  at  their  greatest  height. 
It  is  probable  that  at  this  time  the  discharge  of  waters 
through  the  Chicago  outlet  caused  rapids  similar  to  the 
rapids  in  the  Niagara  Kiver  to-day. 

STAGES  IN  THE  HISTORY  OF  LAKE  CHICAGO 

There  are  several  stages  in  the  history  of  Lake 
Chicago.  A  ridge  was  formed  by  the  waves  washing 
up  sand  and  gravel  toward  the  outer  edge  of  the  lake, 
when  the  water  stood  a  great  length  of  time  at  any  one 
level,  and  this  debris  remained  after  the  water  had 
receded.  While  the  waters  stood  at  the  east  base  of  one 
ridge,  the  waves  were  washing  up  debris,  building  up 
bars  or  spits  in  the  lake,  which,  when  the  waters  receded, 
formed  the  next  ridge  further  east.  In  this  manner  the 
ridges  in  Evanston  were  formed. 

The  stages  of  Lake  Chicago  were  as  follows :  First, 
Glenwood  Stage,  leaving  Glenwood  Beach,  Dutch  Ridge, 
west  of  Evanston ;  second,  beach  not  visible,  as  the  water 
receded  beyond  the  present  shoreline  of  Lake  Michigan, 
but  excavations  made  in  1923  show  an  old  beach  line  at 


TOPOGRAPHY  OF  EVANSTON  21 

the  north  end  of  the  city,  about  twenty  feet  below  lake 
level;  third,  Calumet  Stage,  forming  Calumet  beach, 
which,  in  Evans  ton,  is  Ridge  Avenue;  fourth,  Tolleston 
Stage,  forming  Tolleston  beach,  which  is  Chicago  and 
Hinman  Avenues  in  Evanston. 

GLENWOOD  STAGE 

During  the  Glenwood  Stage,  the  waters  are  esti- 
mated to  have  stood  at  sixty  feet  above  the  present  lake 
level.  The  waves  washed  debris  toward  the  west  and 
south  sides,  leaving  a  well  defined  beach.  This  is  called 
the  Glenwood  beach. 

A  shoreline  corresponding  to  the  Glenwood  beach 
is  present  in  Wisconsin,  but  is  not  to  be  found  between 
Waukegan  and  Winnetka,  where  Lake  Michigan  has 
advanced  westward  and  cut  away  the  Glenwood  beach, 
as  well  as  the  Calumet  and  Tolleston  beaches.  The 
Glenwood  beach  again  makes  its  appearance  at  the  edge 
of  the  present  bluff,  just  south  of  Tower  Road  in  Win- 
netka, and  Sheridan  Road  crosses  this  beach  line  on  the 
little  hill  on  which  stands  the  Episcopalian  church ;  then 
the  beach  swings  southwest  for  several  miles.  From  the 
Sag,  the  Glenwood  shoreline  runs  southeastward,  along 
the  inner  slope  of  the  moraine,  and  then  east  through 
Dyer,  Indiana. 

SECOND  STAGE,  NO  BEACH  VISIBLE 

The  beach  of  the  second  stage  in  the  history  of  Lake 
Chicago  was  below  the  present  level  of  Lake  Michigan 
and  so  we  cannot  see  it.  The  waters  are  thought  to  have 
been  too  low  to  discharge  through  the  Chicago  outlet. 
At  this  time  it  is  evident  they  did  not  cover  the  whole 
of  the  Chicago  Plain,  as  vegetation  flourished,  and  where 


22         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

there  were  marshes,  peat  beds  formed  over  the  plain. 
Deposits  of  peat  were  found  a  few  years  ago  on  the 
campus  of  Northwestern  University,  underlying  deposits 
of  a  later  stage.  It  is  probable  that  the  ice  had  retreated 
so  far  to  the  north,  that  an  outlet  was  formed  in  that 
direction  lower  than  the  one  by  the  way  of  the  Des 
Plaines  valley. 

At  Waukegan,  where  excavation  was  being  made 
for  the  large  electric  power  plant  at  the  north  edge  of 
the  city  in  1923,  an  old  beach  line  was  found  about  twenty 
feet  below  the  present  lake  level.  Round  masses  of  clay, 
water-worn  tree  trunks  and  the  bones  of  a  deer  showed 
the  location  of  the  beach  line. 

THE  CALUMET  STAGE 

The  third  stage  was  the  Calumet  Stage.  Either 
returning  glacial  ice  blocked  the  northern  outlet,  or  else 
a  rising  of  the  land  lifted  the  outlet  and  prevented  the 
waters  from  draining  at  this  point.  One  of  these  possible 
changes  caused  the  waters  to  alter  their  flow  and  dis- 
charge through  the  southwest  outlet,  submerging  again 
the  Chicago  Plain. 

The  second  or  Calumet  beach,  which  marks  the  third 
stage  in  the  history  of  Lake  Chicago,  shows  that  the 
waters  rose  to  forty  feet  above  the  level  of  Lake  Michigan. 
This  beach  lies  west  of  the  Chicago  and  Northwestern 
tracks  from  the  state  line  south  to  Waukegan.  Here  the 
waves  cut  it  away  as  far  as  Wilmette,  where  it  appears 
again  at  the  present  shoreline  between  Wilmette  and 
Evanston.  At  Gross  Point  the  bluff  is  forty  feet  high 
and  shows  the  deposits  of  that  stage.  From  this  point 
it  runs  south  through  Evanston  to  Rose  Hill,  swings 


TOPOGRAPHY  OF  EVANSTON  23 

west  and  terminates  at  the  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago 
river  near  Bowmanville.  This  beach  we  know  as  Ridge 
Avenue.    Geologists  call  it  Eose  Hill  Bar. 

TOLLESTON  STAGE 

During  the  fourth  or  Tolleston  stage,  the  waters 
stood  twenty  feet  above  the  level  of  Lake  Michigan,  and 
the  outlet  was  still  to  the  southwest  through  the  Des 
Plaines  and  the  Sag.  A  third  beach  was  thus  developed, 
called  the  Tolleston  beach.  It  appears  in  several  places 
in  Wisconsin,  lying  east  of  the  Calumet  beach,  and  fol- 
lows closely  the  Chicago  and  North  Western  railway, 
between  the  state  line  and  Waukegan.  The  advance  of 
the  waves  of  Lake  Michigan  has  washed  the  beach  away 
from  this  point  to  the  bluff  on  the  grounds  of  North- 
western University,  at  the  present  shoreline.  This 
bluff  is  twenty  feet  high  and  is  capped  by  beach 
deposits  of  this  stage.  From  here  the  beach  runs  south 
along  Chicago  and  Hinman  Avenues  in  Evanston, 
through  Lake  View,  and  ends  at  Lincoln  Park  in 
Chicago. 

As  the  ridges  were  the  places  of  location  of  Evans- 
ton's  first  citizens,  the  trend  of  these  ridges  or  beaches 
left  by  the  waters  of  Lake  Chicago  was  the  remote  decid- 
ing factor  in  the  shaping  of  Evanston. 

LAKE  CHICAGO  BECOMES  LAKE  MICHIGAN 

When  the  ice  melted  entirely  from  the  basin  of  Lake 
Chicago  and  uncovered  the  present  outlet  through  the 
Straits  of  Mackinac,  which  is  lower  than  the  Chicago 
outlet  —  that  is,  the  Drainage  Canal  outlet  —  the  waters 
of  Lake  Chicago  fell  to  the  present  lake  level.     Lake 


24  EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Chicago  passed  into  history,  and  Lake  Michigan  came 
into  existence  —  Lake  Michigan  in  all  its  grand  and 
glorious  beauty. 

As  the  city-proud  Evanstonian  stands  on  the  shore 
of  Lake  Michigan,  and  looks  out  over  the  vast  expanse 
of  its  blue  waters,  he  feels  a  great  joy,  and  a  distinctly 
patriotic  thrill  in  the  thought  that  Lake  Michigan  is  the 
only  one  of  the  Great  Lakes  that  is  entirely  surrounded 
by  United  States  territory. 

Before  artificial  means  were  resorted  to  for  preserv- 
ing the  shoreline  of  the  lake,  the  shore  was  being  washed 
away  in  places  at  the  rate  of  sixteen  feet  a  year. 

Lake  Michigan  is  truly  a  great  lake,  being  third  in 
order  of  size  among  the  fresh  water  lakes  of  the  globe, 
Lake  Superior  holding  first  place  and  Lake  Nyanza,  in 
Africa,  second. 


Chapter  II 

VARIOUS  TEIBES  OF  INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED 
THIS  TERRITORY 

THE  Indians,  in  all  probability,  came  into  this  coun- 
try from  the  northwest  through  Bering  Strait,  some 
going  southward,  others  to  the  Atlantic  coast  and  else- 
where over  the  United  States  and  over  Canada,  forming 
in  groups  in  various  localities,  and  developing  cultures 
often  quite  distinct. 

There  are  legends  in  the  Winnebago  tribes  which 
prove  that  some  of  their  ancestors  were  Mound  Build- 
ers. There  are  Mound  Builders  today,  in  some  parts  of 
the  country. 

The  shores  of  Lake  Michigan  and  the  various  rivers" 
in  Illinois  yield  rich  evidence  of  the  former  occupation 
of  these  regions  by  the  Mound  Builders.  In  the  northern 
part  of  Illinois  and  on  toward  the  west,  along  Rock 
River,  many  mounds  were  emblematic,  representing 
tribal  totems,  formed  on  an  immense  scale.  Near  Galena, 
Illinois,  there  is  a  mound  in  the  form  of  a  huge  snake, 
911  feet  long.  One  in  the  form  of  a  lizard  was  formerly 
on  the  site  that  the  Wellington  Elevated  Station  occu- 
pies. There  were  other  mounds  left  by  the  Mound 
Builders  in  the  forms  of  birds  and  reptiles,  and  some 
that  were  not  clearly  denned. 

The  curious  earth-works  left  by  this  people  were 
built  for  various  purposes  —  signal  stations,  military 
defenses,  places  of  worship,  and  tombs  for  the  dead. 


26  EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

The  Mound  Builders '  system  of  barter  extended 
over  hundreds  of  miles,  exchange  being  made  from  tribe 
to  tribe.  Their  cultivation  of  corn  proved  they  were  not 
nomadic.  In  mounds  along  the  Illinois  River  were  found 
shells  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  mica  from  the  Carolinas, 
catlinite  from  Minnesota,  galena  from  southeastern 
Missouri,  and  copper  from  the  Lake  Superior  region, 
traces  which  show  how  extensively  trade  was  carried 
on. 

Various  tribes  of  Indians,  mostly  of  Algonquian 
stock,  occupied  the  region  on  the  west  side  of  Lake 
^Michigan  in  successive  periods  of  time,  one  tribe  after 
another  being  driven  out  by  other,  stronger  tribes  who 
-coveted  the  land,  and  who,  in  turn,  were  warred  upon 
and  driven  away.  These  were  the  Illinois,  Miami,  Foxes, 
"Maskoutens,  Kickapoo,  Potawatomi,  Chippewa  and 
Ottawa  —  all  Algonquins,  and  the  Winnebago  of  Dakotan 
stock  and  the  Shawnee  "from  the  Sunny  Southland."*1* 
These  tribes  inhabited  this  territory  at  different  times, 
between  the  warring  Iroquois  on  the  east  and  the  Siouan 
Indians  on  the  west,  which  were  bitter  enemies  to  all 
Algonquin  speaking  tribes.  The  French  called  the  latter 
Indians  "the  Iroquois  of  the  West." 

No  one  knows  how  many  centuries  the  Indians (2) 
had  occupied  the  whole  of  the  United  States  before  the 
white  man  came.    They  were  divided  into  several  great 


(1)  The  spelling  of  Dr.  William  Duncan  Strong  is  followed  in  Indian  tribe 
names. 

(2)  Although  Columbus  never  reached  our  main  land,  he  was  responsible  for 
the  name  of  Indian  being  applied  to  the  red  man.  Every  school  child  has  read  that 
when  Columbus  and  his  crew  landed  on  one  of  the  Bahama  islands,  the  natives, 
who  were  gentle  and  friendly,  ran  to  the  water's  edge  laden  with  gifts  for  their 
visitors;  and  Columbus,  thinking  he  had  reached  the  Indies  straightway  called  the 
islands  Indies;  the  island  on  which  they  landed,  San  Salvadore(  Holy  Savior);  and 
the  natives  Indians,  With  the  exception  of  prefixing  West  to  Indies*,  these  names 
have  evei    since  been  used. 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  27 

linguistic  groups,  according  to  the  similarity  of  their 
languages.  Tribes  speaking  similar  languages  belong 
to  the  same  linguistic  family  and  are  usually  related  by 
blood.  The  Algonquins  and  the  Iroquois  were  two  great 
family  groups  covering  a  large  part  of  Canada  and  the 
United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  Eiver  and  to  the 
south  as  far  as,  and  including,  Virginia. 

The  great  Algonquin  family  occupied  New  England, 
Pennsylvania,  Virginia,  New  Jersey,  Michigan,  Ohio, 
Indiana,  Illinois  and  other  districts  further  west ;  part 
of  Canada,  including  New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia. 
This  family  was  composed  of  the  following  tribes :  the 
Lenape  or  Delaware,  Ottawa,  Chippewa,  Potawatomi, 
Menominee,  Sauk  and  Fox,  Maskoutens,,  Illinois,  and 
Kickapoo. 

Although  the  Iroquois  occupied  a  region  far  re- 
moved from  our  own,  they  must  be  mentioned,  as  their 
war  parties  roamed  over  half  of  North  America  and 
wrought  terror  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Mississippi ;  or, 
as  one  historian  very  ably  puts  it,  "From  Canada  to  the 
Carolinas  and  from  Maine  to  the  Mississippi,  Indian 
women  shuddered  at  the  name  of  'Ho-de-no-sau-nee' 
(meaning  people  of  the  long  house),  while  even  the  brav- 
est warriors  went  far  out  of  their  way  in  the  wintry 
forests  to  avoid  an  encounter  with  them." 

In  the  seventeenth  century  the  Iroquoian  family 
occupied  the  region  that  lay  like  an  island  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  territory  occupied  by  the  Algonquian 
family;  that  is,  around  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario,  within 
the  present  limits  of  New  York  and  a  large  tract  of  land 
to  the  south.  This  family  was  originally  five  separate 
nations.     Naming  them  from  east  to  west,  they  were: 


28         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onondagas,  Cayugas  and  Senecas, 
the  Senecas  being  the  largest  tribe.  These  tribes,  while 
nearest  kin(3)  and  neighbors,  were  always  making  war 
on  each  other  and  had  already  wiped  out  the  Hurons, 
of  their  own  family  stock,  in  1649.  One  wise  and  good 
Onondaga  chief,  Hayenwathe,  thinking  this  was  a  sad 
state  of  affairs,  and  realizing  that  individually  each  tribe 
was  weak  and  could  be  greatly  harmed  by  a  foe,  decided 
that  if  a  confederacy  were  formed,  the  tribes  would  be 
strong  enough  to  resist  the  fiercest  enemy.  This  con- 
solidation was  accomplished  only  after  promising  the 
chieftaincy  of  the  confederacy  to  Atotarho,  another 
chief  of  the  same  tribe,  who  had  opposed  the  plan,  and 
who  was  the  very  opposite  in  character  to  Hayenwathe. (4) 
The  confederacy  was  then  called  the  Five  Nations,  and 
continued  to  be  The  Five  Nations  until  some  time  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  when  the  Tuscaroras  of  North  Caro- 
lina moved  northward  and  joined  the  confederacy,  after 
which  time  it  was  known  as  The  Six  Nations. 

The  Iroquoian  Indians  were  well  built,  strong  and 
energetic,  and  regarded  themselves  as  men  surpassing 
all  others.  One  great  Iroquois  chief,  when  he  fell 
wounded  among  Algonquins,  exclaimed,  "Must  I,  who 
have  made  the  whole  earth  tremble,  now  die  by  the  hands 
of  children  V9 

Indian  tribes  are  made  up  of  several  clans  or  gentes. 

Clans  are  groups  of  persons  related  by  blood  on  the 
maternal  side.  (Clan  is  sometimes  used  in  place  of 
gens  —  singular  of  gentes.) 

Gentes  are  groups  of  persons  related  by  blood  on 

(3)  In  the  Iroquoian  tribes,  kinship  is  traced  through  the  female  line. 

(4)  Each   tribe   of  the  Iroquois  had  two  war  chiefs   of   equal  power.      In   the 
Pine  Tree  tribes  the  chiefs  were  elected. 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  29 

the  paternal  side.  Tribes  are  composed  of  several  clans 
or  gentes. 

Each  clan  or  gens  usually  takes  its  name  from  a 
certain  animal,  supposed  to  be  the  friend  or  protector 
of  all  members  of  that  clan  or  of  that  gens.  This 
animal  —  wolf,  bear,  turtle,  or  whatever  animal  it  is  — 
is  the  animal  totem  of  the  clan  or  gens.  All  members 
of  the  same  clan  or  gens  are  regarded  as  brother  and 
sister,  and  none  may  marry  one  of  his  own  clan  or  gens ; 
that  is,  a  wolf  may  not  marry  a  wolf,  but  may  marry  a 
turtle.  In  the  clan,  the  name  comes  down  through  the 
mother,  and  in  the  gens,  the  name  comes,  down  through 
the  father. 

The  totem  of  the  man  of  the  house,  inherited  from 
his  mother,  is  drawn  on  bark  at  the  door  of  his  lodge, 
or  carved  at  the  top  of  the  totem  pole.  Beneath  this 
drawing  or  carving  of  the  totem  animal  are  drawings 
or  carvings  to  show  his  wealth  and  the  brave  deeds  he 
has  done ;  and  lastly  comes  the  totem  of  his  wife,  which 
will  be  the  totem  of  the  children  when  they  set  up  house- 
keeping. 

Clans  or  gentes  are  much  like  the  fraternities  and 
societies  of  the  white  man,  in  that  totem-fellows  are 
expected  to  help  one  another.  An  Indian  stranger  com- 
ing into  a  village  would  look  for  his  own  totem,  being 
sure  of  a  welcome  at  the  lodge  before  which  he  finds  his 
totem. 

Figures  representing  various  animals,  totems  of 
the  chiefs,  may  be  found  on  Indian  treaties,  being  the 
sign-manuals  of  the  chiefs. 

Each  tribe  has  one  or  more  chiefs.  In  a  matriarchal 
family    the    office   is    hereditary,    coming    through    the 


30         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

female  line ;  that  is,  the  son  of  a  sister  and  not  the  chief's 
son  inheriting  the  office. 

The  chiefs  advise,  rather  than  rule,  consulting  the 
minor  chiefs  and  the  principal  men  on  all  important  mat- 
ters, which  are  settled  by  councils.  The  war  chief  must 
be  a  very  able  man,  with  strong  personality ;  he  must  have 
personal  merit,  wisdom  and  bravery,  and  must  possess 
eloquence;  he  should  be  capable  of  rallying  the  young 
men  to  follow  him  into  war.  If  he  is  disqualified  in  any 
w^ay,  another  may  be  elected  in  his  place. 

The  Illinois  Indians  were  here  in  the  early  seven- 
teenth century,  as  early  as  1615,  five  years  before  the 
landing  of  the  Mayflower.  The  maps  show  that  Cham- 
plain  had  heard  of  them  and  of  the  country  further  west, 
when  he  led  the  Hurons  and  the  Ottawa  in  an  unsuccess- 
ful attack  against  the  Iroquois  at  Lake  Huron. 

Lake  Michigan,  from  the  Algonquin  ' '  Michigamea, ' ' 
meaning  Great  Water,  wTas  called  by  the  French  "Lac  des 
Illini,"  because  the  Illinois  Indians  lived  on  its  shores. 

At  the  time  the  French  came  into  the  region  the  Illi- 
nois Confederacy  consisted  of  the  following  tribes  :  Tam- 
aroa,  Michigamea,  Kaskaskia,  Moingwena,  Peoria  and 
Cahokia.  The  Illinois  called  themselves  Iliniwek,  which 
meant  men,  and  considered  themselves  superior  to  their 
neighbors.  The  French  early  changed  the  name  to 
Illinois. 

The  principal  cities  of  the  Illinois  were  Kaskaskia 
on  the  Illinois  Eiver,  seven  miles  west  of  the  present  site 
of  Ottawa;  two  villages  of  the  Peoria  and  Moingwena, 
six  miles  up  the  river  later  named  Des  Moines ;  and 
Michigamea,  further  south  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi.    The  largest  of  these  villages  was  Kaskaskia 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  31 

on  the  Illinois  River,  and  at  the  time  of  Marquette's  visit, 
it  consisted  of  seventy-four  lodges,  each  containing  sev- 
eral families.  Henepin  says  in  1679  this  village  con- 
tained 460  lodges,  with  tires  in  each  for  two  or  three 
families,  and  that  it  extended  a  mile  along  the  river,  with 
a  population  of  from  six  thousand  to  eight  thousand. 
This  village  was  transferred  to  the  Kaskaskia  Eiver. 
The  Peoria  moved  later  from  the  Des  Moines  River  to 
the  Illinois  River,  near  Lake  Peoria. 

In  Jesuit  Relations  for  1671,  it  is  stated  that  at  a 
very  early  date  the  Illinois  almost  destroyed  the  Winne- 
bago. One  writer  puts  the  Illinois-Winnebago  war  about 
1640.  There  is  a  tradition  that  all  the  Winnebago  were 
taken  captive  or  killed,  with  the  exception  of  one  man, 
who  was  shot  through  the  body  with  an  arrow,  but 
escaped  and  lived.  After  a  time  the  Illinois  sent  all  the 
captive  Winnebago  back.  The  one  man  who  had  escaped 
was  then  honored  for  never  having  been  a  slave  by  being 
made  captain  of  the  Winnebago.  Some  time  later,  the 
Winnebago  bent  on  revenge,  sent  600  warriors  to  attack 
the  Illinois.  While  they  were  sailing  down  Lake  Michi- 
gan, a  furious  storm  arose  and  the  boats  capsized,  drown- 
ing every  man. 

The  Winnebago  tribe  encroached  on  the  territory  of 
the  Illinois,  and  the  result  was  continuous  warfare,  which 
kept  the  disputed  boundary  line  shifting  north  or  south, 
according  to  which  nation  was  victorious.  The  Illinois, 
being  braver  and  having  greater  numbers,  finally  drove 
the  Winnebago  north  into  Wisconsin.  The  Winnebago 
were  unlike  the  Illinois  in  disposition,  being  fiercer  and 
more  inclined  to  war.  They  wore  pieces  of  pole-cat  fur 
on  their  ankles,  to  let  it  be  known  that  they  emulated 


32         EYANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

that  animal's  movements  in  self-possession  and  deliber- 
ateness. 

According  to  Jesuit  Relations  for  1671,  the  Winne- 
bago always  lived  in  the  Green  Bay  region.  This  tribe 
is  of  the  Siouan  linguistic  family. 

In  1660  the  Illinois  were  said  to  have  sixty  villages 
and  a  population  of  seventy  thousand,  with  twenty  thou- 
sand warriors.  This  was  probably  an  extravagant  esti- 
mation. 

In  1665,  the  Illinois  sent  a  delegation  to  the  Great 
Chippewa  village  on  Lake  Superior,  in  regard  to  war 
with  the  Sioux.  Here  Claude  Allouez  addressed  them, 
assuring  them  of  French  protection. 

In  1681,  LaSalle  made  a  speech  at  a  grand  council 
in  the  lodge  of  the  chief  of  the  Miami,  when  trying  to  seal 
the  friendship  between  the  Miami  and  the  Illinois,  an 
address  which  has  come  down  in  history  on  account  of 
its  fine  forest  rhetoric.  Parkman  says  there  were  few 
who  were  "so  skilled  in  the  art  of  diplomacy  and  forest 
rhetoric  as  LaSalle.' '  He  punctuated  his  speech  on  this 
occasion  with  presents,  a  custom  in  which  the  white  man 
imitated  the  Indian.  He  began  with  a  gift  of  tobacco, 
"to  clear  the  brains.  ..."  Next  he  gave  them  cloth,  "to 
cover  their  dead,  coats  to  dress  them,  hatchets  to  build 
a  grand  scaffold  in  their  honor,  and  beads,  bells  and 
trinkets  of  all  sorts  to  decorate  their  relatives  at  a  grand 
funeral  feast."  All  this  was  to  gain  the  good  will  of  the 
Indians,  who,  while  accepting  the  gifts  for  their  own  use, 
were  pleased  at  the  compliment  offered  their  dead.  La 
Salle  succeeded  in  making  peace  between  the  two  tribes. 
He  ended  his  harangue  with  a  present  of  two  wampum 
belts   and   the   words,   "Let   us    obey   the    Great   King 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  33 

[French]  and  live  together  in  peace  under  his  protec- 
tion. ..."  The  next  day  the  chiefs  made  their  reply  in 
form  (the  Indian  seldom  gives  an  immediate  reply),  and 
it  was  all  that  La  Salle  could  have  wished.  ' '  The  Illinois 
is  our  brother,  because  he  is  the  son  of  our  Father,  the 
Great  King.  .  .  .  We  make  you  master  of  our  beaver  and 
our  lands,  of  our  minds  and  our  bodies." 

The  confederacy  that  La  Salle  was  planning  at  the 
time  of  various  Indian  tribes  to  be  gathered  together 
for  French  protection  against  the  Iroquois,  was  formed 
in  1682  around  Fort  St.  Louis.  Here  LaSalle  and  Tonti 
gathered  an  Indian  colony,  which  at  one  time  num- 
bered 20,000.  Of  the  3,800  warriors,  1,200  were  Illinois 
Indians. 

Fort  St.  Louis  was  abandoned  in  1702  by  Tonti, 
fifteen  years  after  LaSalle 's  death. 

In  1750,  it  was  estimated  that  there  were  still  about 
2,000  left  of  the  Illinois,  whereas  years  previous,  there 
had  been  prosperous  villages  of  this  nation,  and  their 
hunting  grounds  had  covered  two-thirds  of  the  state. 

The  Illinois  became  involved  in  the  Conspiracy  of 
Pontiac,  but  were  unwilling  to  take  active  part.  Pontiac 
came  to  them  and  made  an  appeal,  but  they  still  refused 
to  act  when  he  told  them  that  if  they  hesitated  longer,  he 
"  would  consume  their  tribes,  as  fire  consumed  dry  grass 
on  the  prairies.' '  This  great  chief  of  the  Ottawa  was 
killed  in  1769  by  an  Indian  at  Cahokia,  and  the  act  was 
laid  to  the  Illinois  Indians.  Other  Indian  tribes  swarmed 
down  on  the  Illinois  to  avenge  the  death  of  their  beloved 
chief,  and  nearly  annihilated  them.  One  band  of  the  Illi- 
nois fled  for  refuge  to  a  high  rock,  the  former  site  of 
Fort  St.  Louis.    This  rock,  situated  across  the  river  from 


34         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Utiea  in  LaSalle  county,  was  125  feet  high,  rising  straight 
up  from  the  River  Illinois  and  accessible  only  from  the 
rear,  where  there  was  a  steep  and  narrow  passage.  Here 
the  Illinois  Indians  were  cruelly  and  overwhelmingly  be- 
sieged by  a  force  of  Potawatomi  and  Ottawa  in  1770. 
The  food  of  the  little  party  soon  gave  out,  and  the  be- 
sieging Indians  cut  the  cord  attached  to  vessels  for 
drawing  water,  the  prisoners '  only  means  of  obtaining  it. 
The  few  who  desperately  made  a  dash  for  liberty  were 
caught  and  cruelly  put  to  death.  This  high  rock,  where 
almost  the  last  of  the  Illinois  Indians  met  their  death, 
and  on  which  their  bones  lay  undisturbed  for  many  years, 
has  been  given  the  tragic  name  of  Starved  Rock. 

The  missionaries  describe  the  Illinois  Indians  as 
gentle,  tractable  and  of  good  disposition,  before  they 
were  changed  by  the  influence  of  the  white  man,  but 
slovenly  in  their  habits.  They  were  so  fond  of  the  priests 
that  wherever  the  "black-gowns"  went,  they  had  a 
"goodly  following."  They  were  good  hunters,  using  the 
bow  and  arrow.  Hunting  was  good  and  game  plentiful. 
They  never  used  canoes  and  called  the  Potawatomi  In- 
dians "canoe-men."  They  were  addicted  to  polygamy, 
and  if  a  man  was  jealous  of  his  wife,  he  would  cut  off  her 
nose  and  ears.  Marquette  saw  several  who  were  thus 
disfigured. 

However  slack  and  slovenly  they  were  in  their  habits, 
they  never  suffered  from  famine,  as  they  always  had  a 
good  crop  of  corn.  The  women  dug  up  the  ground  with 
sharp  sticks  or  clam  shells  and  cultivated  squash,  melons, 
beans  and  corn,  sowing  the  beans  among  the  corn  for  the 
support  that  the  stalks  gave  the  vines.  Squash,  corn  and 
berries  were  dried  in  the  sun  for  winter  use. 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  35 

They  made  all  their  utensils  of  wood  and  their  ladles 
from  the  head  bones  of  buffalo. 

Their  cabins  were  large  and  differed  in  length.  They 
were  roofed  and  floored  with  mats  made  of  rushes  closely 
interwoven. 

The  Illinois  women  went  out  in  their  canoes  to  gather 
the  rushes  for  the  mats  to  be  used  as  coverings.  From 
these  rushes  they  wove  mats  measuring  sometimes  sixty 
feet  in  length.  Father  Hennepin  said  of  their  cabins  that 
a  double  covering  of  mats  was  used,  and  that  neither  wind 
nor  rain  nor  snow  could  penetrate,  they  were  so  well 
sewed.  The  frames  for  the  cabins  were  made  of  bent  sap- 
lings, said  by  Hennepin  to  be  "like  the  arched  top  of  a 
baggage-wagon. ' ' 

Deer-skin  was  used  for  clothing,  oramented  with  dyed 
porcupine  quills  or  with  beads.  Marquette  says  that  the 
women  dressed  very  modestly  and  becomingly,  but  the 
men  wore  scanty  clothing. 

When  the  Illinois  departed  for  war,  the  whole  village 
had  to  be  notified  by  a  runner  giving  a  loud  shout  at  the 
door  of  each  cabin  both  night  and  morning  before  leaving. 
The  captains  of  the  tribe  wore  red  scarfs,  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  warriors.  These  scarfs  were  made  from 
the  hair  of  bears  and  buffalo. 

If  a  stranger  came  into  a  village,  a  runner  was  sent 
out  to  notify  the  populace,  whereupon  the  cooks  prepared 
their  best  food  and  offered  it  to  the  visitors.  Allouez  says 
of  the  Illinois:  "I  find  all  of  those,  with  wThom  I  have 
mingled,  affable  and  humane  and  it  is  said  that  whenever 
they  meet  a  stranger,  they  give  a  cry  of  joy,  caress  him 
and  show  him  every  possible  evidence  of  affection.' ' 

Marquette  says  that  among  both  the  Illinois  and  the 


36         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Sioux  Indians  there  was  a  certain  set  of  young  men,  who 
for  some  religious  significance  assumed  the  garb  of 
women  and  did  the  same  work.  They  went  to  war,  but 
had  to  use  clubs  instead  of  bows  and  arrows.  They  had 
to  be  present  at  all  important  councils  and  nothing  could 
be  decided  without  them.    They  did  not  marry. 

At  the  time  the  first  white  man  came  into  the  region, 
the  Illinois  did  not  bury  their  dead  immediately.  The 
body  was  wrapped  in  a  skin  and  suspended  by  head  and 
feet  in  trees.  Later  the  body  was  buried,  stone  sepul- 
chers  sometimes  being  used. 

In  1850,  the  last  of  the  Illinois  were  removed  from 
their  old  home  site  in  the  state  that  bears  their  name,  to 
their  new  home  in  Indian  Territory,  beyond  the  great 
river,  on  the  west  side  of  which,  on  the  Des  Moines  River, 
Marquette  and  Joliet  first  saw  the  villages  of  these  In- 
dians. This  last  remnant  numbered  but  eighty-four  and 
represented  only  two  tribes,  the  Kaskaskia  and  the 
Peoria.  In  less  than  two  hundred  years,  from  1658  to 
1850,  the  Illinois  tribe  of  Indians  dwindled  from  a  popu- 
lation of  70,000,  so  estimated,  to  less  than  a  hundred,  the 
kindly  Illinois,  hospitable,  faithful  and  well-beloved  by 
the  missionaries,  and,  so  far  as  we  have  any  record,  the 
first  Indian  inhabitants  of  this  region. 

The  Miami,  originally  from  west  of  the  Mississippi, 
migrated  to  northern  Indiana  and  eastern  Illinois. 

St.  Cosme  and  his  companions  found  Miami  Indians 
on  the  site  of  Chicago  in  1699.  These  Indians  were 
pushed  by  the  warring  Iroquois  up  into  Wisconsin,  where 
they  joined  the  Kickapoo  and  the  Maskoutens  on  Fox 
River.  Here  Marquette  and  Joliet  visited  them.  From 
this  place  they  were  pushed  southward  by  encroaching 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  37 

tribes,  among  them  the  Potawatomi  and  the  Chippewa. 
In  1678,  LaSalle  found  a  band  of  them  on  the  St.  Joseph 
river  at  Fort  Miami,  Michigan.  In  1718,  the  Miami  left 
their  village  on  the  site  of  Chicago,  being  afraid  of  the 
canoe-people,  the  Potawatomi  and  the  Chippewa,  and 
went  around  the  head  of  the  lake  to  be  near  their  own 
people.  The  Foxes  were  also  warring  on  them  at  that 
time.  The  Miami  soon  after  emigrated  to  Ohio,  where 
the  Miami  and  Great  and  Little  Maumee  rivers  perpetu- 
ate their  memory.  William  Henry  Harrison(5)  says  of 
the  Miami  that  in  the  eighteenth  century  they  could  have 
mustered  more  than  three  thousand  warriors  in  the  field 
and  composed  the  finest  light  horse  troops  in  the 
world. (6)  (7) 

The  Miami  were  conceded  to  be  the  most  civil  of  all 
the  tribes  of  Indians  in  the  Northwest,  and  their  chiefs 
were  more  prominent,  having  more  influence  and  being 
attended  by  more  guards  than  the  chiefs  of  any  other 
tribes.  Charlevoix  speaks  of  the  state  and  ceremony 
with  which  one  chief  received  him;  not  knowing  it  was 
their  custom,  he  thought  it  was  done  simply  to  impress 
him. 

Allouez  says,  "  Their  language  is  in  harmony  with 
their  dispositions;  they  are  gentle,  affable  and  sedate; 
they  speak  slowly."  Marquette  considered  the  Maskou- 
tens  and  the  Kickapoo,  living  with  the  Miami  on  the  Fox 
Eiver,  mere  boors   in  comparison  to   the   Miami.     He 

(5)  Wm.  Henry  Harrison  was  appointed  governor  in  1800  of  the  Northwest 
Territory,  which  did  not  include  Ohio.  This  territory  was  named  Indiana  Territory. 
He  was  later  United  States  president. 

(6)  Handbook  of  American  Indians  says  it  is  impossible  to  give  a  satisfactory 
estimate  of  the  numbers  of  the  Miami  at  any  one  time,  on  account  of  confusion 
with  the  Wea  and  the  Piankashaw. 

(7)  At  a  great  conference  on  the  Maumee  River,  Ohio,  the  Miami  signed 
with  the  turtle  totem. 


38         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

thought  the  way  the  Miami  wore  their  hair,  two  long 
locks  over  their  ears,  gave  them  a  pleasing  appearance. 

On  Henry  Popple 's  map,  the  Miami  are  shown  occu- 
pying this  site,  Fort  Miami,  as  late  as  1733. 

The  Miami,  as  did  the  Maskoutens  and  the  Kicka- 
poo,  used  rushes  for  their  cabins.  The  rushes  were  not 
much  protection  against  the  cold  or  rain,  but  could  be 
easily  made  into  compact  bundles  for  transporting. 

The  Foxes  (Outagamies)  of  Algonquian  stock,  were 
driven  from  their  home  ground  along  the  St.  Lawrence 
River,  around  Montreal  and  Quebec,  by  the  Iroquois 
Indians.  The  Foxes  called  themselves  by  an  Indian  name 
composed  of  two  words,  meaning  red  and  earth  —  "Red 
Earths,"  or  "They  of  the  Red  Earth." 

Allouez  tells  of  an  Iroquois  attack  on  the  Foxes, 
which  occurred  near  the  present  site  of  Chicago,  in  1670, 
when  "six  large  cabins  of  these  poor  people  [Foxes] 
were  put  to  flight  this  month  of  March  by  18  Senecas, 
[largest  tribe  of  the  Iroquois  Confederacy]  who,  under 
the  guidance  of  two  fugitive  Iroquois  slaves  of  the  Pota- 
watomi,  made  an  onslaught  and  killed  all  the  people  ex- 
cept thirty  women,  whom  they  led  away  as  captives.  As 
the  men  were  away  hunting,  they  met  with  but  little 
resistance,  there  being  only  six  warriors  left  in  the  cabins, 
besides  the  women  and  children,  who  numbered  about  a 
hundred. ' ' 

The  Foxes,  in  1680,  settled  on  the  Fox  River,  named 
for  this  tribe,  and  sent  word  to  the  Sauk,  their  old  neigh- 
bors along  the  St.  Lawrence,  to  join  them,  notwithstand- 
ing the  fact  that  the  Fox  villages  were  still  new  and  their 
people  very  poor.  According  to  the  missionaries,  these 
Indians  were  half  famished  and  gaunt  looking,  following 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  39 

the  priests  around,  hoping  for  food  to  be  given  them. 
The  Sauk  came  and  joined  the  Foxes.  These  two  tribes 
lived  so  many  years  as  close  neighbors  that  by  long  asso- 
ciation and  intermarriage  they  became  practically  one 
people  and  an  alliance  was  formed  in  1733,  after 
which  they  were  known  as  one  tribe,  the  Sauk  and  the 
Foxes. 

The  name  of  the  Sauk  (Osaukee)  came  from  two  In- 
dian words  meaning  yellow  and  earth  or  land,  which  give 
the  name,  ' '  They  of  the  Yellow  Land. ' '  Judge  Hall,  who 
had  a  long  and  personal  acquaintance  with  the  members 
of  the  Sauk  and  Fox  tribe,  says  they  were  remarkable  for 
symmetry  of  form  and  fine  personal  appearance,  and  that 
few  equal  them  in  intrepidity.  Their  history  abounds 
with  daring  and  desperate  adventures  and  romantic 
incidents. 

Their  chief  village  was  near  the  mouth  of  the  Eock 
Eiver,  occupying  a  high  bluff  overlooking  the  present 
city  of  Milan,  called  Blackhawk's  Tower.  Blackhawk 
was  chief  of  the  Sauk  and  Foxes  and  led  his  people 
against  the  United  States  in  what  was  known  as  Black- 
hawk's  War  in  1832. 

In  1825,  the  total  number  of  persons  in  the  two  tribes 
was  4,600.  When  they  were  removed  to  Indian  Territory, 
they  numbered  but  1,600. 

The  Sauk  and  Foxes  had  a  peculiar  custom.  The 
mother  marked  each  male  child  at  birth  with  either  black 
or  white  paint,  the  colors  being  applied  to  the  male  chil- 
dren alternately.  Thus  the  whole  tribe  was  divided  into 
two  nearly  equal  divisions.  In  games,  hunts,  or  public 
ceremonies,  one  color  was  ranged  against  the  other.  This 
division  also  caused  keen  competition  in  war  time,  in 


40  EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

obtaining  the  greater  number  of  scalps.  Dr.  Strong  says 
the  Potawatomi  also  had  this  custom. 

The  Sauk  and  Foxes  hated  the  beards  of  the  French- 
men so  much,  that  if  they  found  a  Frenchman  "  alone  and 
unprotected"  they  would  kill  him. 

This  tribe  made  mat  cabins  for  its  journeyings,  but 
had  cabins  made  of  heavy  bark  in  the  villages. 

The  habitat  of  the  Maskoutens  seems  to  have  been 
in  the  vicinity  of  Michilimackinac,  as  there  is  an  Ottawa 
tradition  that  they  were  driven  from  there  at  an  early 
date  by  the  Ottawa  into  the  southern  peninsula  of  Michi- 
gan. About  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  they 
migrated  around  the  head  of  the  lake  into  Wisconsin. 
Here  Marquette  found  a  large  village  of  them  on  the  Fox 
Kiver,  with  two  other  tribes,  the  Kickapoo  and  the  Miami. 
The  Maskoutens  were  of  Algonquian  stock,  and  are  de- 
scribed as  tall,  big  and  strong.  They,  too,  were  aston- 
ished to  see  beards  on  the  faces  of  the  Frenchmen,  as 
they  plucked  the  hair  from  their  own  faces  as  soon  as 
any  appeared. 

Moll's  map  shows  the  Maskoutens  in  the  Chicago 
area  in  1720,  and  also  indicates  villages  of  them  on  the 
St.  Joseph  Eiver.  De  L 'Isle's  map  shows  them  on  this 
site  in  1703.  In  the  eighteenth  century  these  Indians 
migrated  to  the  Wabash  and  dwindled  in  numbers,  until 
they  were  almost  extinct  as  a  tribe.  Parrish  says  they 
were  absorbed  by  the  Foxes,  and  General  Clark  speaks  of 
them  in  1778  as  the  Meadow  Indians. 

The  Kickapoo  were  in  the  Chicago  area  in  1703,  ac- 
cording to  De  L 'Isle's  map.  The  Handbook  of  American 
Indians  gives  the  name  Kickapoo  as  being  derived  from 
an  Indian  word  meaning, ' '  He  moves  about,  standing  now 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  41 

here,  now  there. ' '  The  name,  according  to  one  interpre- 
ter, means  Babbit's  Ghost,  coming  from  "Wah-boos," 
which  means  rabbit.  This  tribe  of  Indians  skipped  half 
over  the  continent,  to  the  despair  of  various  ethnog- 
raphers. In  1718,  they  had  villages  both  on  the  Rock 
Eiver  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Chicago.  On  some  French 
maps,  made  about  that  time,  the  Rock  River  is  called 
the  Kickapoo  River. 

These  Indians  were  industrious,  intelligent  and  clean 
in  their  habits.  They  were  well  armed  and  well  clothed. 
The  men  were  tall,  sinewy  and  active.  The  women  were 
lithe  and  not  lacking  in  beauty.  Their  language  was  soft 
and  liquid,  in  strong  contrast  to  the  language  of  the  Pota- 
watomi,  which  was  harsh  and  gutteral. 

The  Kickapoo  were  not  good  mixers  and  in  this  way 
they  escaped  demoralization  by  the  whites,  for  it  is  a 
known  fact  the  Indians  learned  quickly  the  bad  traits, 
but  were  slower  to  emulate  the  virtues  of  the  white 
people. 

Beckwith  tells  us  that  the  Kickapoo  preferred  to 
make  war  going  in  small  groups,  rather  than  in  great 
numbers.  A  small  group  of  from  five  to  twenty  would 
go  hundreds  of  miles  to  swoop  down  on  a  feeble  settle- 
ment, or  a  lone  cabin,  burn  the  property,  kill  the  cattle, 
steal  the  horses,  capture  the  women  and  children  and 
make  off  before  an  alarm  could  be  given.  There  is  no 
record  of  their  joining  with  either  the  English  or  French, 
or  other  white  nations  in  warfare.  Beckwith  treats  the 
Kickapoo  and  the  Maskoutens  as  one  tribe. 

They  were  not  pliant  in  the  hands  of  the  mission- 
aries. It  was  a  band  of  the  Kickapoo  that  carried  Father 
Gabriel  Ribourde  away  and  broke  his  head,  when  he  had 


42         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

gone  a  short  distance  from  his  party  to  meditate  and 
pray  (1688).  This  happened  along  the  Des  Plaines 
River,  called  by  the  early  French  writers  Illinois  River. 

The  Sioux  Indians,  while  they  never  occupied  this 
territory,  must  be  mentioned  here,  as  they  warred  upon 
all  the  tribes  who  had  villages  in  northern  and  central 
Illinois.  The  Siouan  family  was  the  most  populous  lin- 
guistic family,  next  to  the  Algonquian,  north  of  Mexico. 
The  name  means  snake  or  adder,  and  by  metaphor, 
enemy.  This  tribe  lived  originally  on  both  sides  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  its  home  site  extending  north  as  far  as 
Canada  and  south  to  the  Gulf  states.  These  Indians  were 
the  wildest  and  most  savage  of  all  the  Northwest  tribes. 
Notwithstanding  this,  they  "  stood  abashed  and  motion- 
less as  statues"  in  the  presence  of  the  early  white  men. 
Their  cabins  were  covered  with  deer-skin,  carefully  and 
neatly  sewed  together. 

The  Potawatomi,  as  well  as  the  Chippewa  (Ojibway) 
and  the  Ottawa,  with  whom  they  were  closely  associated, 
are  supposed  to  be  the  original  people,  according  to 
Andreas,  who  lived  at  the  "village  of  the  Falls  at  St. 
Mary's  Strait  (Sault  Ste.  Marie)  and  on  the  northern 
bank  of  Lake  Huron.' '  In  1639,  John  Nicollet(8)  visited 
the  Potawatomi  at  Potawatomi  Islands  on  Green  Bay, 
where  they  had  been  driven  by  the  Iroquois.  They  gradu- 
ally spread  along  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan, 
occupying  the  sites  of  both  Milwaukee  and  Chicago.  In 
the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  a  portion  of  the 
tribe  had  migrated  into  northern  Indiana  and  on  around 
the  head  of  the  lake  to  southeastern  Michigan.  These  In- 


(8)      Jean    Nicollet   was   Indian   agent  and   interpreter  for   25   years    and   was 
well  loved  by  the  Red  Man. 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  43 

dians  were  called  the  Potawatomi  of  the  Woods,  while 
those  that  remained  in  northern  Illinois  were  known  as 
the  Potawatomi  of  the  Prairies. 

The  three  tribes,  the  Potawatomi,  the  Chippewa  and 
the  Ottawa,  were  originally  one  nation.  The  name  Pota- 
watomi means  in  their  language, ' '  We  are  making  a  fire. ' ' 
The  three  nations  alluded  to  themselves  as  "We  of  the 
Three  Fires.' '  They  had  one  council  fire  and  spoke  one 
language. 

According  to  legend,  the  name,  Potawatomi,  was  be- 
stowed on  this  tribe  by  reason  of  the  following  incident, 
related  by  Joseph  Barron,  Interpreter  for  General  Har- 
rison. A  Miami,  having  wandered  from  his  cabin,  met 
three  Indians,  whose  language  he  could  not  understand. 
He  made  signs  for  them  to  follow  him;  they  did  so,  and 
he  took  them  to  his  cabin  and  entertained  them  until  dark. 
During  the  night,  two  of  the  strange  Indians  took  embers 
from  the  fire  and  placed  them  outside  the  door.  These 
were  seen  by  the  host  and  the  remaining  Indian  stranger, 
and  were  understood  to  imply  a  council  fire  between  the 
two  nations.  Ever  after  this,  this  tribe  of  Indians  was 
known  as  the  Potawatomi. 

The  Potawatomi  were  tall,  fierce  and  haughty,  and 
the  most  energetic  and  powerful  of  all  the  Northwest 
tribes.  The  Ottawa  were  thick-set,  good-natured  and  in- 
dustrious. The  Chippewa  were  warlike  and  daring.  All 
three  nations  had  the  same  general  lineaments. 

The  Potawatomi  early  formed  an  attachment  for  the 
French  that  remained  unbroken.  They  were  called  squat- 
ters by  other  tribes,  as  they  never  had  lands  of  their  own, 
but  were  always  intruding  on  lands  to  which  other  tribes 
had  prior  claim.     They  were  foremost  in  all  treaties 


44         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

ceding  lands,  and  wanting  the  lion's  share  of  presents 
and  annuities,  especially  where  the  sale  was  of  land  of 
other  tribes,  according  to  Beckwith. 

The  women  did  all  the  work,  the  men's  entire  occu- 
pation being  hunting  and  dressing.  The  men  were  well 
clothed  and  made  us,e  of  a  great  deal  of  vermilion.  In 
the  winter  they  wore  buffalo  robes,  richly  painted;  in 
the  summer,  cloth  of  either  red  or  blue.  The  women  and 
young  girls  painted  with  vermilion  and  dressed  in  what- 
ever they  possessed,  but  they  were  always  tidy.  At  night 
they  did  a  great  deal  of  dancing,  always  in  perfect  time 
and  never  losing  a  step. 

The  beds  of  this  tribe  were  of  buffalo  skins,  over 
which  deer-skins  were  laid.  Their  portable  wigwams 
consisted  of  a  frame-work  of  poles,  fastened  together  at 
the  top,  and  a  mat  of  interwoven  rushes  fitted  over  it. 
Mats  of  flags  or  rushes  were  laid  on  the  floor  around  the 
fire.  The  Potawatomi  winter  houses  were  round,  covered 
with  birch  bark  or  rush  mats ;  their  summer  houses  were 
rectangular  in  shape  and  larger,  and  mat-covered.  Be- 
fore a  lodge  could  be  occupied,  either  in  winter  or  sum- 
mer, there  was  a  ceremony,  with  offerings  of  tobacco  and 
a  feast  of  dog  meat.  The  chief's  wife  was  always  the 
first  to  enter  the  new  lodge.  The  dog  used  for  the  feasts 
was  carefully  raised  and  was  never  allowed  to  run  with 
other  dogs,  and  many  formalities  had  to  be  observed 
before  killing  it. 

The  Potawatomi  were  divided  into  four  clans,  ac- 
cording to  Chauvignerie  (1736)  :  the  Golden  Carp,  the 
Frog,  the  Crab,  and  the  Tortoise.  Morgan  says  the 
Potawatomi  had  fifteen  totems.  The  Prairie  Potawatomi 
reckoned  descent  in  the  father's  line. 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  45 

In  1846,  the  Potawatomi,  the  Chippewa  and  the  Otta- 
wa were  united  as  the  Potawatomi  nation.  They  lived 
along  the  North  Shore  for  the  greater  part  of  two  hun- 
dred years  and  theirs  was  the  last  native  tribe  to  take 
its  departure,  which  took  place  in  the  years  1835  and 
1836. 

The  Chippewa  (Ojibway)  were  the  largest  tribe  of 
Indians  of  Algonquian  stock. 

Kadisson  visited  the  Ottawa  at  Manitoulin  Island  in 
1658.  He  called  the  waters  surrounding  the  islands, 
"The  Lake  of  the  Staring  Hairs,"  as  the  Ottawa  wore 
their  hair  "like  a  brush,  turned  up. "  Their  ears  had  five 
holes  in  them,  each  hole  large  enough  to  put  the  end  of 
the  finger  in  it.  A  hole  was  bored  through  the  nose, 
through  which  a  straw  a  foot  long  was  run. 

Charlevoix,  sent  here  by  the  Canadian  government 
to  study  the  Indians,  was  a  keen  observer,  as  his  letters, 
published  in  London  in  1721,  describing  ' '  our  Indians,  ■ ' 
as  he  styles  them,  prove.  He  visited  camps  and  villages 
along  the  west  shore  and  around  the  head  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan, as  well  as  villages  along  the  Mississippi  Eiver. 

He  thought  well  of  the  Indians.  He  said  of  the  Pota- 
watomi of  Canada  that  they  were  the  finest  men  in  all 
Canada  and  had  the  sweetest  natural  temper.  "The 
nearer  we  view  our  Indians,"  he  said,  "the  more  good 
qualities  we  find  in  them.  In  the  principles  that  regulate 
their  conduct,  the  maxims  by  which  they  govern  them- 
selves, we  discover  nothing  of  the  barbarian." 

He  found  the  cabins  in  the  villages  placed  without 
order  or  design,  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  broad  and  some 
of  them  one  hundred  feet  in  length,  each  fire  serving  a 
space  of  thirty  feet.    Some  were  like  "cart  houses,  others 


46         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

like  tubs  built  of  bark,  supported  by  poles,  sometimes 
plastered  on  the  outside  with  clay,  but  with  less  neatness 
than  beavers  use. "  When  the  floor  was  not  large  enough 
for  bedding  the  family,  the  young  people  slept  on  beds 
in  a  kind  of  loft,  five  or  six  feet  from  the  floor,  running 
the  length  of  the  cabin.  Household  goods  and  provisions 
were  placed  on  shelves  above  this  improvised  sleeping 
loft.  Most  of  the  cabins  contained  a  lobby  before  the 
entry  where  the  young  people  slept  in  summer  and  where 
wood  was  stored  in  winter.  There  were  no  chimneys  or 
windows,  but  a  hole  was  made  in  the  middle  of  the  roof 
for  the  smoke  to  escape.  This  had  to  be  stopped  up  in 
bad  weather,  and  the  fire  put  out,  if  the  occupants  would 
not  be  blinded  by  smoke. 

Smoke  continually  filled  the  upper  part  of  the  cabin, 
a  condition  which  the  Indian  did  not  seem  to  mind.  If 
one  stood  up,  his  head  was  in  a  thick  cloud  of  smoke ;  the 
eyes  watered  and  it  was  impossible  to  see  more  than  two 
or  three  feet  away.  Sometimes  it  was  necessary  to  lie 
flat  on  the  earth  and  press  the  mouth  close  to  the  ground 
to  get  a  free  breath  of  air  not  filled  with  smoke. 

The  Indian  forts  were  constructed  in  a  manner  far 
surpassing  the  way  their  villages  were  built.  A  fort  was 
surrounded  by  two  and  sometimes  three  palisades,  in- 
terwoven with  branches  of  trees,  leaving  no  spaces  be- 
tween. 

In  putting  up  the  cabins  in  a  village,  each  squaw 
knew  exactly  the  place  intended  for  her  cabin  and  there 
was  never  any  argument  about  location. 

The  men's  wearing  apparel  for  cold  weather  con- 
sisted of  smoke-dried  deer  skin  for  the  feet,  hose  of  skin 
or  " stuff"  wrapped  around  the  feet,  waistcoat  of  skin, 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  47 

robe  of  bear-skin,  and  several  skins  of  beaver  or  otter, 
hairy  side  in.  Men  were  so  fond  of  shirts,  they  wore 
them,  Charlevoix  said,  nntil  they  dropped  off  from  rot- 
tenness, as  they  never  troubled  to  wash  them. 

Women  wore  bodices  that  reached  below  the  knee, 
as  did  also  their  skirts  of  skin.  When  traveling,  they 
wore  little  bonnets  or  leather  caps,  sewed  to  the  bodices. 

Some  of  the  men  painted  their  whole  bodies,  as  they 
said  it  was  protection  against  the  cold,  wet  and  gnats. 
The  women  seldom  painted  themselves. (9)  Some  of  the 
young  and  vain  men  "spent  half  their  time  daubing 
themselves  up,  afterward  going  from  door  to  door  and 
returning  well  pleased  with  themselves,  though  not  a 
word  had  been  spoken." 

The  men,  although  they  spent  many  hours  in  abso- 
lute idleness,  made  everything  necessary  for  hunting, 
fishing  and  for  war.  The  making  of  the  canoes  and  snow- 
shoes  was  their  work,  although  the  women  sometimes 
assisted  in  this.  work. 

The  women  were  never  idle.  It  was  their  work  to 
put  up  the  cabins,  carry  the  burdens  —  and  no  burden  was 
so  great  that  the  papoose  could  not  be  added  —  cultivate 
the  fields,  take  care  of  the  meat  after  the  hunt,  stretch 
the  skins,  and  do  the  cooking. 

The  Indians  treated  one  another  with  a  gentleness 
and  respect  unknown  to  common  people  in  the  most 
polite  nations.  They  never  disputed  another's  word,  and 
for  this  reason,  the  Missionaries  often  thought  they  had 
converts,  as  the  Indian  listened  to  their  teaching  in  re- 
spectful silence ;  accordingly  the  priests  were  often  times 
disappointed. 

(9)      Beckwith   differed  from  Charlevoix  in  this. 


48 


EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


In  some  groups,  the  Indians  did  not  rise  a  person's 
name  in  addressing  him,  as  that  would  seem  too  familiar, 
but  would  call  him  instead  Brother,  Cousin,  or  an  appel- 
lation that  told  the  relation  in  which  he  stood  to  the 


1 

all            m*            %m& 

. .  '^W 

Courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 


Chippewa  Squaws 

Painted  by  J.  O.  Lewis,  1826 


speaker.  Neither  would  an  Indian  speak  his  own  name, 
if  he  were  asked,  but  would  turn  to  some  one  nearby  and 
wait  for  him  to  give  it.     They  had  a  superstition  that 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  49 

speaking  one's  name  was  an  ill  omen;  if  a  child  spoke 
his  name,  it  would  stunt  his  growth.  They  gave  the  white 
man  a  name  that  told  some  dominant  quality  of  him. 

One  could  go  into  a  cabin  where  there  were  ten  or 
twelve  persons  and  no  sound  would  be  heard. 

In  very  early  spring,  as  soon  as  the  snow  was  melted, 
the  women,  with  the  assistance  of  boys  too  young  to  hunt, 
commenced  to  burn  the  old  corn  stalks  from  over  the 
ground  and  stir  the  soil  slightly  with  shells  and  crooked 
pieces  of  wood,  with  long  handles.  The  babies  were  car- 
ried to  the  fields,  strapped  to  the  mothers'  backs,  and 
then  deposited  conveniently  near.  Each  baby  was  bound 
in  its  cradle  neatly  and  firmly  from  the  waist  down,  but 
the  upper  part  of  the  body,  above  the  waist,  was  not  held 
in  any  way,  dangling  and  flopping  around  loosely  in  an 
alarming  fashion,  when  the  cradle  was  in  an  upright 
position ;  but,  according  to  Charlevoix,  this  seemed  to  be 
beneficial  rather  than  hurtful,  to  judge  from  the  looks 
of  the  strong-limbed  youngsters  beyond  the  cradle 
age. 

No  mothers  of  any  nation  gave  more  care  and  atten- 
tion to  their  babies  than  the  Indian  mothers,  nor  less  care 
to  children  over  three  years  of  age.  After  attaining  the 
age  of  three  or  thereabouts,  the  children  were  under  no 
confinement  and  were  absolutely  free  to  go  where  they 
would,  through  woods  or  water  or  mire.  In  the  summer, 
as  soon  as  they  arose  in  the  morning,  they  went  to  the 
nearest  stream  or  lake  and  played  there  most  of  the  day, 
oftentimes  being  in  water  above  the  waist,  which  was  the 
cause  of  much  lung  and  stomach  weakness.  Their  food 
was  simple  and  wholesome ;  they  ate  to  capacity,  and  then 
would  rest,  and  eat,  or  rather  stuff  themselves,  again. 


50    EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

The  Indian  mother  had  no  fear  of  her  young  child 
getting  lost,  as  Indian  children  have  an  almost  perfect 
sense  of  direction;  once  having  been  to  a  place,  a  child 
was  always  able  to  find  its  way  back.  The  Indian's  sense 
of  hearing  and  smell  exceeded  the  white  man's.  They 
could  smell  fire  at  a  great  distance  and  could  endure  no 
smell  but  that  of  edibles.  This  was  due  to  their  training, 
and  not  to  innate  ability. 

According  to  Charlevoix,  the  Indian  children  were 
seldom  corrected.  The  Indian  argued  that  before  they 
reached  the  age  of  discretion  they  had  no  reasoning 
powers,  and  after  that  their  actions  were  their  own  af- 
fairs and  they  were  accountable  to  no  person  but  them- 
selves. Girls  were  known  to  strangle  themselves  after 
a  slight  reprimand  from  the  mother,  such  as  a  few  drops 
of  water  thrown  in  the  face,  so  unusual  was  a  reprimand. 

Corn,  squash,  beans  and  melons  were  cultivated. 
Corn,  squash,  beans  and  berries  were  dried  in  the  sun 
for  winter  use.  Corn  was  roasted  in  the  ear  on  coals. 
This  corn  was  often  sent  to  persons  of  distinction  to  show 
respect,  very  much  as  the  keys  of  a  city  would  be  pre- 
sented today.  The  corn  was  hung  up  to  dry,  or  it  would 
sometimes  be  threshed  out  and  put  away  in  bark  baskets, 
in  which  holes  were  bored  to  keep  it  from  heating.  If  the 
Indians  had  to  leave  home,  the  corn  would  be  buried. 

Boasting  was  the  surest  mark  of  a  coward  and  any- 
one could  put  ashes  on  a  boaster's  head,  an  act  which 
meant,  "If  you  meet  an  enemy,  you  will  turn  as  pale  as 
ashes."  Besides  putting  ashes  or  earth  on  the  head,  one 
could  smear  the  boaster's  face  with  black.  Even  the 
greatest  chief  was  not  exempt  from  this  treatment  and 
he,  too,  must  "take  all  without  murmuring." 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  51 

In  going  on  a  hunt,  everything  needed  for  five  or  six 
months  had  to  be  carried  on  the  back.(10)  The  Indians 
traveled  single  file  through  thick  underbrush  and  wild 
country,  through  which  it  seemed  impossible  even  for 
beasts  to  make  their  way.  They  provided  themselves 
with  pieces  of  bark  for  shelter  against  rain  and  snow. 
Arriving  at  their  destination,  all  set  to  work,  the  mission- 
aries in  the  party  as  well  as  the  Indians,  to  put  up  the 
cabins.  These  were  round,  consisting  of  poles  tied  to- 
gether at  the  top  and  bark  arranged  thereon,  poorly 
joined  together,  allowing  the  cold  and  snow  to  penetrate 
between  the  pieces.  A  cabin  took  less  than  half  an  hour 
to  build. (11)  Branches  of  trees  served  as  mattresses, 
around  which  the  snow  collected,  making  some  protection 
against  the  wind. 

Each  Indian  had  several  dogs  for  chase,  which  he 
took  very  little  trouble  to  feed.  They  got  what  they 
could  catch.  As  a  consequence,  the  dogs  were  always 
hungry  and  constantly  on  the  watch  for  a  morsel  of  food, 
leaping  backwards  and  forwards  over  a  missionary  sit- 
ting before  the  fire,  if  they  suspected  he  had  any  food  in 
his  hand.  They  had  very  little  hair  and  so  had  little 
protection  against  the  cold.  A  man  would  awaken  in 
the  night  nearly  choked,  to  find  two  or  three  dogs  lying 
on  him  seeking  warmth. 

Corn  was  ground  in  a  mortar  with  a  pestle  by  the 
women,  and  bread  was  made  from  it  which  was  only  a 


(10)  Charlevoix  saw  no  horses  used  by  the  Indians  until  he  reached  the 
southern  country  around  Mississippi  far  below  the  Missouri  river.  Their  first 
horses  were  secured  from  the  French  and  the  Spaniards. 

(11)  Galinee  (missionary)  tells  of  the  Algonquins  (17th  century)  carrying 
on  journeys  pieces  of  birchbark  split  thin  and  sewed  together  6  feet  (four  fathoms) 
by  3  feet.  They  arranged  three  of  these  pieces  of  bark  on  twenty  or  thirty  poles 
lengthwise,  touching  each  other  at  top,  under  which  eight  or  nine  men  could  be 
sheltered  comfortably. 


UNIVtRSlTY  OF  ILLlNUIb 


i  i  am  \  OV 


52         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

mass  of  ill-kneaded  paste,  without  leaven,  and  baked 
under  the  ashes.  It  had  to  be  eaten  hot,  as  it  would  not 
keep  after  it  grew  cold.  Sometimes  beans,  fruits,  oil  or 
fat  were  mixed  with  it.  One  had  to  have  a  good  stomach 
to  digest  it.  Fat  was  one  of  the  main  ingredients  in 
their  dishes. 

Women  made  thread  from  the  interior  pellicles  of 
the  bark  of  a  tree  called  white  wood,  and  dyed  it.  It  was 
manufactured  much  as  hemp  is.  They  made  articles  of 
bark  and  small  figures  with  "hair"  of  porcupine;  they 
made  cups  and  utensils  of  wood,  and  embroidered  deer 
skins  and  knitted  belts  and  garters  from  the  wool  of  the 
buffalo. 

Hatchets  were  made  of  flint  and  granite,  and  were 
unbreakable.  Tomahawks  or  hatchets  differed  from 
axes  in  having  no  grooves.  The  axes  were  sometimes, 
though  rarely,  grooved  in  two  directions  —  around  the 
top  and  around  the  end  from  the  groove  on  one  side  to 
the  groove  on  the  other.  The  method  most  common  of 
hafting  axes  was  to  twist  a  withe  of  tough  wood  around 
the  body  of  the  ax  and  secure  it  with  rawhide  or  sinew. 
Sometimes  the  tomahawk  or  hatchet  would  be  hafted  by 
being  inserted  in  the  young  branch  of  a  tree,  split  for  the 
purpose,  and  left  there  until  the  wood  had  grown  firmly 
around  it,  when  the  handle  would  be  cut  the  required 
length.  The  only  one  of  this  kind  in  existence,  it  is 
claimed,  was  found  at  Elizabethtown,  Hardin  County, 
Illinois,  and  is  on  exhibition  at  the  Missouri  Jeffersonian 
Memorial  Museum,  at  St.  Louis. 

Some  hatchets  and  axes  have  a  fine  cutting  edge  at 
each  end.  Those  requiring  a  fine  cutting  edge  were 
made  of  flint.    The  others  were  made  of  granite. 


INDIANS  THAT  OCCUPIED  TERRITORY  53 

Grooved  axes  are  usually  found  above  ground,  sel- 
dom in  mounds,  and  were  found  more  abundantly  in  the 
central  states,  diminishing'  in  numbers  toward  the  east. 
Tomahawks  are  frequently  found  in  mounds  and  are 
found  in  every  part  of  the  country. 


Chapter  III 

THE  LAST  INDIANS  OCCUPYING  THIS 
TERRITORY 

LESS  than  a  century  ago,  where  now  are  comfortable 
_j  homes  and  compactly  built  apartment  houses, 
paved  streets,  well-cared-for  parkways  and  inviting 
lawns,  great  trees  proudly  reared  their  heads  over  im- 
passable shrubbery,  and  shaded  well-worn  paths  —  trails 
over  which  the  Red  Man  trod  for  many  years. 

Of  the  various  tribes  of  latter  day  Indians  that  occu- 
pied this  region  at  different  times,  the  Illinois,  who  were 
the  first  of  which  we  have  any  record,  the  Miami,  and 
the  Potawatomi  were  the  tribes  that  lived  on  this  site 
the  greatest  lengths  of  time. 

It  was  the  Potawatomi  Indians  that  Marquette  and 
Joliet  found  on  the  west  side  of  Lake  Michigan  in  1673. 
These  Indians  lived  here  nearly  two  hundred  years. 
This  tribe  had  many  camps  and  villages  scattered 
over  the  territory,  which  later  became  the  site  of  Evans- 
ton  and  the  adjoining  city  and  villages.  The  Potawa- 
tomi Indian  village  located  at  Bowmanville  was  called 
"Chicago's  greatest  Indian  Village."  This  village 
extended  from  the  site  of  Eose  Hill  Cemetery  west  to 
the  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago  River  and  north  as  far 
as  High  Ridge  (Kenmore).  Judging  from  the  utensils, 
pottery  and  copper  —  over  10,000  articles  in  number  — 
found  on  these  grounds,  this  village  dated  back  to  the 
Mound  Builders,  or  earlier. 


LAST  INDIANS  OCCUPYING  TERRITORY  55 

There  were  also  Indian  villages  at  Niles  Center, 
Forest  Glen,  the  site  of  Evanston  Hospital  grounds,  and 
the  present  site  of  Glen  View  Golf  grounds.  The  village 
on  Ridge  Trail  at  Rogers  Park  was  probably  a  contin- 
uation of  the  Bowmanville  village. 

Between  Clark  Street  and  the  lake  were  two  small 
villages,  one  of  these  being  within  the  present  limits  of 
Evanston. 

At  the  southwest  corner  of  Davis  Street  and  Wesley 
Avenue,  in  1835,  stood  a  log  hut  with  a  straw  roof,  which 
was  said  to  have  been  built  by  the  Indians  and  occupied 
by  them. 

About  1840,  James  Carney,  one  of  Grosse  Pointe's 
pioneers,  visited  a  village  at  the  foot  of  Dempster  Street. 
Here  lived  a  roving  band  of  Potawatomi  fishermen. 

A  village  consisting  of  fifteen  or  twenty  wigwams 
was  situated  two  or  three  blocks  north  of  the  Evanston 
lighthouse  site,  fronting  the  lake  shore,  on  what  was 
later  Charles  Deering's  property.  This  village  was 
evidently  a  permanent  abode,  as  the  land  showed  that 
corn  had  been  cultivated  on  it.  A  young  son  of  the 
Carneys  one  time  visited  the  village.  Five  or  six  Indians 
followed  him  home,  whereupon  he  hid  in  the  haystack 
back  of  the  house,  not  coming  out  until  the  Indians  had 
left.  "What  was  his  consternation  to  learn  that  his 
mother  had  given  them  his  much-loved  black  puppy,  to 
which  they  had  taken  a  fancy!  He  told,  in  after  years, 
of  the  wigwams  built  of  mats  and  rushes,  and  remem- 
bered well  the  Indians,  the  squaws,  the  children  and  the 
dogs  at  this  village. 

An  Indian  village  site  was  discovered  in  1852  by 
Dr.  Henry  M.  Bannister  while  he  was  hunting.     This 


56  EVANSTON— -ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

was  just  south  of  Greenleaf  Street  and  east  of  the  present 
Sheridan  Eoacl;  it  was  also  east  of  an  Indian  work- 
shop or  chipping  station.  Fire  places,  utensils  and  pot- 
tery gave  mute  evidence  of  former  Indian  occupation. 

Benjamin  F.  Hill  remembered  roaming  bands  of 
Potawatomi  Indians  camping  near  his  father 's  house  and 
calling  to  do  their  trading.  The  Hill  family  occupied 
the  Mulford  house  in  1836,  on  the  Eidge,  west  of  Calvary 
Cemetery,  before  the  Mulfords  occupied  it.  The  site  of 
Evanston  was  a  hunting  ground  for  the  Indians,  as  deer 
were  plentiful. 

Benjamin  F.  Hill  spoke  before  the  Evanston  His- 
torical Society  in  May,  1902,  in  regard  to  his  early  life 
in  Evanston  and  about  the  Indians.  He  had  lived  among 
them  and  understood  them  well.  He  said  that  Shabbona, 
one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  Potawatomi,  was  one  of  the  finest 
specimens  of  American  Indian.  Shabbona  was  an  Ottawa 
Indian,  born  near  the  Maumee  River  in  Ohio,  in  1775. 
After  the  battle  of  the  Thames,  in  1827,  where  he  was 
by  the  side  of  the  great  warrior,  Tecumseh,  when  the 
latter  was  killed,  Shabbona  gave  his,  allegiance  to  the 
United  States. 

When  in  1832  Blackhawk  tried  to  engage  every 
tribe  of  Indians  against  the  whites,  saying,  "Let  all  our 
tribes  unite  and  we  shall  have  an  army  of  warriors  equal 
in  number  to  the  trees  of  the  forest/'  Shabbona,  who 
knew  the  military  strength  of  the  white  man,  replied, 
"Your  army  would  equal  in  number  the  trees  in  the 
forest,  but  you  would  encounter  an  army  of  palefaces  as 
numerous  as  the  leaves  on  the  trees." 

At  the  time  Blackhawk  and  his  band  were  ravaging 
the  whole  northern  part  of  Illinois,  Shabbona  w^as  the 


58         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Paul  Eevere  of  the  west,  riding  his  pony  a  hundred  miles 
or  more  in  twenty-four  hours  to  warn  the  settlers  of  their 
danger,  and  was  a  true  friend  to  the  white  man  during 
the  stormy  days  of  the  Blackhawk  War.  He  had  princi- 
ple. He  was  a  Christian  in  his  own  way;  a  man  of  few 
words,  sensible,  kind-hearted,  always  doing  a  kindness 
for  some  one,  taking  a  quarter  of  venison  to  a  needy  per- 
son, or  doing  good  in  some  other  way.  Shabbona  Grove, 
sixty-five  miles  west  of  Chicago,  was  named  after  this 
chief.  Here  he  lived  in  a  wigwam  made  of  blankets  woven 
together,  tied  and  wrapped,  making  a  warm,  snug  lodge. 
He  had  two  sons,  Shabbona  and  Smoke. 

Shabbona,  after  returning  from  California  where 
he  had  gone  on  horseback,  told  to  Hill  the  traits  of  each 
tribe  of  Indians  he  had  met  along  the  way.  Hill,  going 
to  California  later,  found  that  Shabbona  had  described 
them  accurately.  So  much  could  be  told  of  Shabbona, 
whose  "skin  was  tawny,  but  his  soul  was  white,' '  to 
quote  J.  Seymour  Currey.  He  had  always  been  a  friend 
of  the  white  people.  When  the  Indian  tribes  moved 
west,  he  was  urged  to  go,  but  he  did  not  wish  to  leave 
his  white  friends.  At  last  he  consented  to  leave.  Grow- 
ing homesick,  he  returned,  only  to  find  his  land  had  been 
sold.  He  was  told  he  had  forfeited  his  land  by  his 
absence.  This  discouraged  him  and  he  took  to  intoxi- 
cating drinks  (he  was  a  teetotaler  up  to  that  time),  and 
his  mind  became  affected. 

The  early  settlers  were  oftentimes  annoyed  at  the 
manner  in  which  the  Indians  entered  their  homes  and 
seated  themselves  without  invitation.  This,  it  seems, 
was  the  proper  way,  according  to  Indian  custom.  Mr. 
Hill  said  that  an  Indian  would  slip  into  a  white  man's 


LAST  INDIANS  OCCUPYING  TERRITORY  59 

house,  seat  himself  as  far  as  possible  from  any  member 
of  the  family  and  keep  his  eyes  downcast,  until  some 
one  in  the  white  man's  family  would  go  to  him  and  offer 
him  food  or  ask  his  errand.  The  Indian  wished  the  white 
man  to  do  the  same,  when  the  latter  went  to  the  Indian 's 
wigwam.  If  a  white  man  walked  into  a  wigwam  and 
looked  the  host  straight  in  the  eyes,  the  Indian  was 
offended  and  felt  that  the  white  man  was  taking  advan- 
tage of  him;  but,  if  he  went  in  and  kept  his  eyes  down- 
cast, in  a  few  minutes  the  Indian  would  have  looked  him 
over  and  would  be  able  to  describe  the  white  man's  dress 
exactly,  even  to  the  number  of  buttons  on  his  coat.  He 
would  then  approach  him  and  confer  any  favor  that  the 
white  man  would  ask,  even  to  the  dividing  of  his  last 
morsel  with  him,  and  the  white  man  was  welcome  to 
remain  in  the  wigwam  as  long  as  he  wished. 

At  Lake  Avenue  and  Sheridan  Eoad  (later  the  site 
of  the  Westerfield  place)  in  Wilmette,  there  was  a  Pota- 
watomi  village.  The  wigwams  were  made  of  poles  and 
mats  of  rushes.  This  was  evidently  a  winter  home,  as 
the  Indians  came  late  in  the  fall  and  left  in  the  spring. 
Besides  the  Indians,  French  families  and  half-breeds 
occupied  this  village.  Occasionally  the  Ouilmettes  and 
Beaubiens  lived  there.  A  maple  tree  sugar  tapping  gouge 
or  chisel  was  found  on  the  Ouilmette  Reservation  by 
Mr.  Hill  and  presented  to  the  Evanston  Historical 
Society.  This  implement  had  evidently  been  the  prop- 
erty of  Ouilmette. 

Chipping  stations  or  workshops  were  situated  for 
miles  along  the  lake  shore.  There  were  four  of  these 
south  of  Indian  Boundary  Line,  in  Edgewater  and 
Rogers  Park,  and  one  immediately  south  of  this  line. 


60         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

North  of  these  was  one  of  the  largest  workshops.  This 
was  on  land  between  the  present  Main  and  Greenleaf 
Streets  in  Evanston,  west  of  an  Indian  village,  which 
was  located  east  of  the  present  Sheridan  Road.  Here 
on  the  site  of  this  workshop,  rejects  and  arrow-heads 
were  found  as  late  as  1870. 

Another  chipping  station  or  workshop  was  located 
at  the  present  site  of  Dearborn  Observatory,  and  there 
were  others  further  north.  The  implements  and  weapons 
manufactured  were  of  great  variety,  from  the  most 
ordinary  arrow-head  to  the  finest  of  polished  hatchets 
and  axes.  The  rejects  along  the  shore  proved  where  the 
manufacturing  was  done,  and  the  finished  product  found 
further  west  proved  where  they  were  used. 

According  to  Frank  Grover,  as  recently  as  1870, 
there  were  small  bands  of  Indians,  families,  and  some- 
times single  Indians  traveling  through  Evanston,  occa- 
sionally camping  over  night  or  stopping  a  few  days. 
He  remembered  several  bands  at  various  times  camped 
under  the  oaks  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Sherman 
Avenue  and  Lake  Street.  They  were  peaceable  and  went 
about  their  business  in  an  orderly  way. 

The  Indians  bent  trees  as  markers  along  a  trail;  a 
trail  marked  in  this  way  was  as  easy  to  follow  as  the 
white  man's  figures  of  today  along  the  highways.  The 
trees  were  bent  while  saplings  in  the  direction  of  the 
trail  to  be  followed.  There  is  a  theory  that  the  Indians 
had  a  system  of  marking  their  trails  by  using  only  one 
kind  of  trees  on  each  trail.  Over  the  site  of  Evanston 
only  oak  trees  were  markers ;  further  north  near  Wil- 
mette  white  elms  were  used ;  and  still  further  north  there 
were  found  several  years  ago  eleven  markers  of  white 


w*  (S  WfWMWTYi 

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Potawatomi  Trail  Tree  That  Grew 

West  of  the  Site  op  Calvary 

Cemetery 


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Potawatomi  Tree 


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SBBil 

Base  of  Potawatomi  Tree 


62         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

oak  trees,  in  perfect  alignment,  leading  from  the  site  of 
an  old  Indian  village  at  Highland  Park  in  a  northwest- 
erly direction  several  miles. 

An  Indian  marker  stood  in  the  yard  of  Dr.  Miner 
Raymond,  Davis  Street  and  Hinman  Avenne.  Another 
grew  west  of  Calvary  Station. (1)  This  was  a  red  oak 
tree,  whose  great  trunk  lay  close  to  the  ground  for  fifteen 
feet,  with  three  good  sized  trees  rising  straight  from  it. 
The  head  had  taken  root,  thus  providing  the  tree  with 
two  sources  of  sustenance. 

The  famous  Potawatomi  Tree,  while  not  an  Evans- 
ton  product,  is  of  sufficient  interest  to  North  Shore  resi- 
dents to  be  mentioned  here.  Until  1903  this  giant 
Cottonwood  tree  stood  on  the  farm  of  M.  A.  Koelpfer, 
on  the  Glenview  Road,  two  miles  west  of  Wilmette.  This 
tree  was  said  to  be  the  largest,  not  only  in  Illinois,  but 
in  the  whole  Mississippi  Valley;  it  was  165  feet  high, 
45  feet  in  circumference  at  a  point  three  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  had  a  diameter  at  the  base  of  18  feet, 
its  trunk  running  up  75  feet  before  putting  out  a 
branch. 

From  the  time  of  the  earliest  white  man  in  this  region, 
the  trunk  has  been  hollow  at  its  base,  with  an  entrance 
five  feet  wide  by  nine  feet  high,  leading  into  a  chamber 
over  twenty  feet  high,  with  a  smooth  floor  nearly  twenty 
feet  in  diameter,  on  which  have  stood  thirty-one  persons 
at  one  time.  It  was  estimated  by  English  foresters  that 
this  tree  was  over  six  hundred  years  old  at  the  time  it 
was  taken  down  in  1903.  It  gained  the  name  Blackhawk 
Tree  at  the  time  of  the  Blackhawk  War,  when  Blackhawk 


(1)  Fort  Dearborn  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  had  this 
tree  moved  in  1926  from  its  original  site  to  Bell  Park,  at  Davis  Street  and  Forest 
Place. 


LAST  INDIANS  OCCUPYING  TERRITORY  63 

and  two  hundred  of  his  warriors  danced  around  it.  It 
is  also  said  that  Indian  councils  have  been  held  and 
treaties  ratified  within  its  cavity. 

In  1832,  a  forest  fire  destroyed  all  the  trees  in  the 
section  where  this  tree  stood,  but  this  tree  remained 
unharmed,  giving  rise  to  a  superstition  among  the 
Indians  that  it  was  under  the  protection  of  the  Great 
Spirit.  This  belief  was  current  to  the  last  of  its  exist- 
ence, being  passed  along  to  the  farmers  and  particularly 
to  the  youth  of  the  region,  who  believed  that  the  tree 
held  a  potent  spell  over  their  love  affairs. 

A  thirty  foot  section  of  the  trunk  has  been  moved 
to  and  preserved  at  1405  Central  Street,  Evanston, 
where  the  public  may  view  it  at  any  time. 

Indian  graves  have  been  found  in  many  places  over 
the  site  of  Evanston,  a  condition  which  authorities  say 
indicates  that  the  Indian  population  was  widely  scattered. 
A  mound  was  discovered  and  excavated,  about  1860,  by 
Evanston  pioneers,  Joel  Stebbins,  Paul  Pratt  and  James 
Colvin,  at  the  intersection  of  the  St.  Paul  viaduct  and 
Kidge  Avenue,  disclosing  war  instruments  and  skeletons. 
Two  graves  were  found  in  1866,  when  excavating  was 
going  on  for  the  foundation  of  Heck  Hall ;  one  was  also 
found  on  the  property  of  Dr.  Eobert  D.  Sheppard,  one 
about  a  block  north  of  Charles  Deering's  property  on 
the  shore  of  the  lake,  and  one  during  the  excavation  for 
the  foundation  of  the  Eood  building  on  Davis  Street  in 
the  nineties.  More  recently,  an  Indian  skeleton  was 
found  buried  on  Charles  Dawes'  ground  in  front  of  the 
house. 

There  was  an  Indian  cemetery  four  or  five  blocks 
northwest  of  Evanston  lighthouse,  extending  from  Evan- 


64  EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

ston  hospital  to  the  lake,  and  along  the  eastern  edge  of 
Evanston  golf  grounds.  The  last  "burial"  in  this 
cemetery  was  evidently  that  of  a  warrior,  as  the  body  was 
placed  in  a  sitting  posture  above  ground.  According  to 
Charlevoix,  "Burying  in  a  sitting  posture  is  an  honor 
due  alone  to  warriors."  The  coffin  or  resting  place  was 
like  a  little  pen,  six  feet  long  by  four  feet  wide,  and  was 
made  of  poles  or  saplings  laid  up  like  a  log  house 
and  bound  together  at  the  corners  with  withes  of  bark. 
The  top  was  also  fastened  in  a  like  manner.  The 
skeleton,  sitting  upright  above  ground,  was  facing  the 
east.  With  him  were  his  dog,  gun,  pipe,  tobacco,  and 
tomahawk.  The  tomahawk,  which  has  a  steel  head  and 
wood  handle,  and  probably  was  of  French  manufacture, 
may  be  seen  at  the  Evanston  Historical  department, 
as  it  was  presented  to  the  Historical  Society  by  B.  F. 
Hill,  who  with  his  two  older  brothers  saw  this  grave, 
and  twelve  or  fifteen  years  later  procured  the  instru- 
ment. These  small  boys,  after  viewing  the  grinning 
skeleton  through  the  spaces  between  the  poles,  fled 
terror-stricken  to  their  home.  The  exact  site  of  this 
last  "burial  place"  was  less  than  fifty  feet  from  the 
ninth  hole  or  green  of  the  former  Evanston  Golf  Club's 
course. 

The  Indians  met  annually  at  Gross  Point  burial 
ground,  the  point  at  the  head  of  the  Ridge,  to  mourn  their 
dead.  An  Indian  cemetery,  located  north  of  the  Institute, 
was  washed  away  in  1862. 

James  H.  Hammill,  Indianologist  of  Oak  Park,  dis- 
covered on  the  Evanston  Hospital  grounds  in  1921,  a 
number  of  Indian  relics  that  had  been  ploughed  up. 
Further  investigation  disclosed  the  fact  that  this  was  the 


LAST  INDIANS  OCCUPYING  TERRITORY  65 

site  of  an  ancient  Indian  village, (2)  as  well  as  a  burying 
ground. 

A  gravel  pit  excavated  on  the  Budlong  farm  in  Bow- 
manville  in  1904  disclosed  to  view  a  grave  containing 
fourteen  skeletons  buried  in  a  circle,  with  their  feet  to- 
ward the  center.  The  bodies  were  apparently  well  pre- 
served until  exposed  to  the  air,  when  they  crumbled, 
leaving  only  the  skeletons.  This  was  probably  a  Pota- 
watomi  Indian  grave. 

Charlevoix  says  the  Indians  buried  their  dead  with 
the  head  toward  the  east,  that  they  might  look  toward 
the  Happy  Hunting  Ground  in  the  west.  This  is  the 
reverse  of  the  way  B.  F.  Hill  found  the  Indian  buried, 
above  referred  to.  Charlevoix  also  tells  how  surprised 
the  Indians  were  at  the  French  not  burying  articles  that 
belonged  to  the  dead,  with  the  dead.  They  did  not  con- 
sider the  white  man's  way  honest,  and  thought  the  living 
had  no  right  to  the  dead  man's  possessions. 

By  1835,  most  of  the  Indians  had  gone  from  this  site, 
in  accordance  with  the  Treaty  of  Chicago  in  1833.  The 
Indian  is  not  given  to  showing  his  emotion,  but  on  the 
day  when  the  Bed  Men  and  their  families  took  their  de- 
parture, herded  by  government  agents,  each  one  plainly 
evinced  his  feelings  in  regard  to  leaving  his  home.  The 
pity  of  it  touched  even  the  most  hardened  heart,  and  that 
leave-taking  was  one  not  soon  to  be  forgotten. 


(2)      Fort   Dearborn   Chapter,   Daughters  of  the  American   Revolution,   in   1923, 
placed  a  bowlder  on  the  Evanston  Hospital  grounds,  with  a  bronze  tablet. 


Chaptek  IV 

HABITS  AND  CHAKACTERISTICS  OF 
THE  INDIAN 

UP  to  the  coming  of  the  white  man,  this  country  be- 
longed to  the  Indian  in  all  its  great  expanse,  from 
north  to  south,  from  east  to  west.  Land  was  owned,  not 
individually,  but  in  great  tracts  by  clans,  or  tribes,  or 
great  families.  Things  done  were  done  for  the  better- 
ment of  the  whole  tribe  and  not  for  the  betterment  of  an 
individual. 

It  will  always  be  a  mooted  question,  in  the  minds  of 
some  people,  whether  the  Indian  is  better  off  since  the 
advent  of  the  white  man.  The  white  man  came  and  found 
the  Indian  occupying  all  of  this  country,  its  fertile  val- 
leys and  hills,  using  the  great  waterways  as  his  only 
means  of  travel  —  other  than  on  foot;  found  him  friendly 
and  eager  to  help  the  white  man  make  a  home  in  his  own 
home  land,  the  land  of  his  forefathers.  The  pilgrims 
were  kept  from  starving  during  their  first  awful  winter, 
through  the  kindness  of  the  Indians.  According  to  cus- 
tom, the  Indians  burned  their  prisoners  at  the  stake,  but 
should  we  judge  them,  whom  we  call  savages,  when  our 
own  history  tells  us  of  the  treatment  accorded  the  so- 
called  witches  by  civilized  men?  Let  us  be  fair  and 
judge  the  red  man  by  the  standards  to  which  he  has 
measured,  according  to  the  early  writers,  who  lived  with 
the  Indian  and  held  communication  with  him,  day  after 
day  and  month  after  month. 


HABITS  OF  THE  INDIAN  67 

Charlevoix  says  of  the  Indians  around  Lake  Michi- 
gan, "Most  of  them  have  a  nobleness  of  soul  and  a  con- 
stancy of  mind,  at  which  we  rarely  arrive,  with  all  the 
assistance  of  philosophy  and  religion." 

We  know  that  the  white  man  took  advantage  of  the 
Indian's  ignorance.  We  cannot  forget  that  the  Indians 
entered  into  many  treaties  under  some  form  of  compul- 
sion, but  today  the  United  States  government  is  doing 
all  it  can  for  the  Indians  on  the  Reservations,  and  so 
we  like  to  think  that  the  Indian  is  better  off  since  the 
advent  of  the  white  man.  The  Indian  of  today  is  far 
advanced  in  civilization  (according  to  our  ideas  of  civili- 
zation), and  far  removed  from  the  Indian  of  America's 
early  days,  who  was  superstitious  (but  so  in  his  way 
was  the  white  man),  brutal,  and,  at  time,  cannibalistic, 
when  he  thought  such  a  feast  would  increase  his  courage. 
The  Indians  were  taught  from  their  earliest  infancy  to 
ignore  pain,  both  in  themselves  and  others.  According 
to  Theodore  Roosevelt,  the  Indians  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi river  were  not  as  brutal  as  those  living  west  of 
it. 

Had  the  white  man  not  put  in  appearance,  instead 
of  "the  survival  of  the  fittest,"  it  would  probably  have 
been  "the  survival  of  the  most  savage"  of  the  Indian 
tribes,  as  they  were  continually  making  war  on  each 
other.  Statistics  show,  by  actual  count,  that  the  number 
of  Indians  in  one  tribe  dropped  from  2,300  to  800  in  one 
state  in  less  than  50  years,  and  during  that  time  none 
had  emigrated.  War  and  disease  had  caused  this  reduc- 
tion in  their  number. (1) 


(1)  Franklin  K.  Lane,  in  the  National  Geographic,  for  January,  1915,  gives 
the  Indian  population  in  United  States,  in  1860,  254,300;  in  1910,  304,950,  includ- 
ing mixed  blood. 


68         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

The  Iroquois  Indians,  though  numbering  2,500  war- 
riors, made  war  on  all  their  neighbors,  destroying  more 
than  thirty  nations  and  causing  the  death  of  more  than 
600,000  persons  within  eighty  years,  according  to  Mason, 
thus  "  rendering  the  country  about  the  Great  Lakes  a 
desert." 

Parkman  tells  us  that  the  Miami  and  the  Illinois  suf- 
fered so  much  by  repeated  attacks  of  the  Five  Nations 
(Iroquois)  and  by  other  wars,  that  the  population  ascribed 
to  them  by  the  early  French  writers  dwindled  during  the 
first  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century  to  a  few  small 
villages.  Parrish  puts  the  remaining  number  at  six  hun- 
dred fighting  men,  whereas  fifty-seven  years  previous, 
they  had  covered  two-thirds  of  the  state  of  Illinois. 

Today  the  number  of  deaths  from  disease  is  less  to 
the  hundred,  as  the  white  man  has  taught  and  is  teaching 
sanitation  among  them,  thus  mitigating  the  ravage  of 
disease  caused  by  insanitary  surroundings.  The  Indian 
does  not  take  kindly  to  indoor  sleeping  rooms,  and  it  is 
found  that  the  members  of  the  older  generation  still  use 
the  tepees  for  sleeping  quarters. 

Although  the  "last  hatchet  was  buried"  several 
years  ago,  a  tribe  will  still  travel  many  miles  to  seal  its 
friendship  with  another  tribe,  holding  feasts,  for  several 
days  and  exchanging  presents. (2) 

We  usually  picture  the  Indians  as  of  one  type  —  tall 
and  straight,  with  copper  colored  skin,  high  cheek  bones, 
straight,  coarse  black  hair  —  but  there  is  great  variation 
in  physical  types.  The  Fox  Indians  are  tall  and  well 
built;  the  Ottawa  are  short  and  squatty.     The  Indians 

(2)  The  Winnebago  and  Chippewa  held  such  a  ceremony  for  four  days  in 
September,  1921,  on  the  Flambeau  reservation  in  Wisconsin,  with  a  great  exchange 
of  presents  to  prove  their  friendship. 


HABITS  OF  THE  INDIAN  69 

of  some  tribes  have  long,  narrow  heads ;  in  other  tribes 
heads  are  short  and  wide.  There  are  some  who  have 
eyes  similar  to  the  eyes  of  the  Chinese,  narrow  and  slant- 
ing. As  to  the  color  of  the  skin,  the  shades  run  from 
nearly  white  to  copper  color,  brown,  or  nearly  black. 

Nearly  all  tribes  of  Indians  bear  names  that  signify 
"men."  Marquette  says  of  the  Illinois,  "When  one 
speaks  the  word,  i Illinois,'  it  is  as  if  one  said  in  their 
language,  'The  men,'  as  if  the  other  savages  were  looked 
upon  merely  as  animals. " 

The  Indians  all  had  some  kind  of  religion,  but  their 
religion  almost  defies  description.  Dr.  William  Jones 
says  the  Sauk  and  Foxes  and  the  Kickapoo  have  similar 
religious  rites  and  ceremonies.  The  basic  principle  of  the 
Algonquian  religion  is  pure,  naive  worship  of  nature. 

The  Sauk  and  Foxes  and  the  Kickapoo  —  and  per- 
haps other  Algonquian  tribes  —  believed  amanitou  could 
exist  in  either  an  animate  or  an  inanimate  object  and 
that  this  manitou  could  be  freed  and  be  made  to  enter 
a  person's  body  by  the  person's  own  desire/  expressed 
in  various  ways.  The  word,  manitou,  in  the  Algonquian 
language,  would  probably  correspond  very  nearly  to  the 
word  spirit,  as  the  missionaries  used  the  term.  Manitou, 
according  to  Dr.  Jones,  is  a  religious  word,  and  carries 
with  it  an  idea  of  solemnity,  and  kindles  an  emotional 
sense  of  mystery. 

The  Potawatomi,  according  to  Schoolcraft,  believed 
there  were  two  spirits,  the  Great  Spirit,  good  and  benef- 
icent, and  the  Evil  Spirit,  which  was  wicked.  The 
Handbook  of  American  Indians  says  that  tins  was  the 
result  of  Christian  teaching,  and  that  formerly  the  Pota- 
watomi worshiped  the  sun  to  some  extent ;  at  least,  they 


70         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

offered  sacrifices  in  honor  of  the  sun,  in  order  that  the 
sick  might  recover  or  that  some  desire  might  be  obtained. 
According  to  Dr.  William  Duncan  Strong  in  his  leaflet, 
The  Indian  Tribes  of  the  Chicago  Region,  the  Potawa- 
tomi  believed  that  the  human  body  had  but  one  soul  or 
spirit,  which  eventually  followed  the  trail  over  the  Milky 
Way  into  the  western  heavens  to  a  land  ruled  over  by 
the  brother  of  the  great  culture  hero,  Wisaka.  He  says 
of  the  Potawatomi  religion,  that  it  is  hard  to  reduce  to 
a  formula.  This  is  true,  also,  of  the  religions  of  other 
tribes. 

In  the  Potawatomi  tribe,  each  clan  had  a  sacred 
bundle,  containing  various  objects  supposed  to  be  sacred. 
The  possession  of  such  bundles  gave  power  and  success 
to  the  clans  in  their  activities.  Many  of  the  bundles  were 
supposedly  given  the  clans  by  the  great  culture  hero, 
but  others  were  acquired  or  made  as  the  result  of  dreams 
or  visions  of  the  people  who  originated  the  clan.  Each 
bundle  had  a  special  legend  attached  to  it,  accounting 
for  its  origin. 

Parkman  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  Indians  be- 
lieved in  a  Great  Spirit  only  after  the  advent  of  the  white 
man.  Nicolas  Perrot,  a  ranger  in  the  woods,  who  spent 
over  thirty-five  years  with  the  Indians  from  1665  to  1701, 
says  in  his  memoirs,  "Michabous  is  one  form  of  the  name 
of  the  Great  Spirit,  which  all  Indian  tribesmen  invoke  as 
their  highest  deity."  Allouez,  missionary,  writes  that 
the  Illinois,  Foxes  and  other  tribes  toward  the  south  hold 
"that  there  is  a  great  and  excellent  genius,  master  of  all 
the  rest,  who  made  heaven  and  earth  and  who  dwells,  they 
say,  in  the  east  toward  the  country  of  the  French, ' '  —  a 
belief  probably  the  result  of  Christian  teaching.    He  says 


72         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

the  Ottawa  and  other  tribes  recognized  no  sovereign 
master  of  heaven  and  earth,  but  believed  there  were  many 
spirits,  some  good — sun,  moon,  lakes,  rivers  and  woods; 
others  bad  —  dragons,  cold,  and  storms.  They  believed 
that  spirits  were  all  about  them,  in  the  trees,  in  the  wind, 
in  the  rain,  etc.,  and  that  the  souls  of  the  departed  govern 
the  fishes  in  the  lake.  Therefore,  they  never  burned  fish 
bones,  as  that  would  displease  the  souls  and  the  fish  would 
not  come  into  their  nets.  They  believed  that  if  a  man 
were  ill,  a  bad  spirit  had  taken  away  his  soul  and  had 
entered  his  body;  that  a  common  cause  of  sickness  was 
the  failure  to  give  a  feast  after  successful  hunting  or 
fishing,  and  that  small  spirits  entered  the  part  of  the 
body  that  was  sick.  In  order  to  exterminate  these  spirits, 
the  medicine  man,  who  was  also  a  juggler,  would  apply 
his  lips  to  the  part  of  the  body  that  was  sick,  pretending 
he  was  extracting  the  spirits,  then  he  would  triumphantly 
exhibit  small  stones,  which  he  claimed  to  have  drawn 
from  the  sick  man's  flesh,  but  which  had  been  hidden 
all  the  while  in  his  mouth.  Sometimes  the  patient  was 
compelled  to  walk  over  live  embers  and  he  would  fall 
unconscious. 

The  medicine  men  had  some  knowledge  of  healing, 
but  they  added  to  their  treatment  of  vapor  baths  and 
decoctions  of  herbs  and  roots  horrible  incantations  and 
howlings  to  scare  the  evil  spirit  away. 

Frederick  Starr  says,  "Some  misfortunes  were  at- 
tributed to  witchcraft  and  an  Indian  would  travel  hun- 
dreds of  miles  to  shoot  down  the  person  suspected  of 
being  a  wizard,  and  could  return  without  being  harmed. ' ' 

According  to  Parkman,  the  Iroquois  thought  the 
God  of  Thunder  had  his  home  among  the  caverns  beneath 


HABITS  OF  THE  INDIAN  73 

the  cataract  of  Niagara.  The  Algonquins  believed  that 
thunder  was  a  bird,  "who  built  his  nest  on  a  pinnacle  of 
towering  mountains.  Two  daring  boys  once  scaled  the 
height  and  thrust  sticks  into  the  eyes  of  the  portentous 
nestlings,  whereupon  flashed  such  wrathful  scintillations 
that  the  sticks,  were  shivered  to  atoms." 

That  the  Indians  did  believe  in  an  after  life  and 
thought  that  inanimate  objects  had  souls,  is  evidenced 
by  their  placing  a  man's  gun,  tomahawk,  bow  and  arrow 
on  his  grave,  or  burying  them  with  him.  They  knew 
these  things  stayed  where  placed,  but  thought  that  their 
souls  accompanied  the  man's  soul  to  the  Happy  Hunting 
Ground.  Sometimes  the  things  placed  on  an  Indian's 
grave  would  be  first  broken.  Whether  this  was  to  help 
their  souls  to  escape  or  whether  they  feared  the  dis- 
honesty of  some  one  passing,  it  is  not  known. 

Petitions  and  sacrifices  were  made  to  the  Great 
Spirit  with  a  view  of  receiving  benefits  during  this  life 
and  with  no  thought  of  benefit  to  the  soul  after  death. 
Sacrifices  of  animals  and  torturings  of  the  flesh  are 
things  of  the  past,  even  though  the  Indian  is  today  per- 
mitted freedom  of  thought  in  his  religion. 

Torture  of  prisoners  was  due  to  one  of  the  many 
Indian  superstitions.  It  was  considered  an  ill  omen  if 
a  captor  failed  to  make  his  captive  cry  out  in  pain. 

In  some  tribes,  if  an  Indian  desired  a  certain  thing 
to  come  to  pass,  he  would  fast  for  many  days,  keeping 
his  thoughts  all  the  time  on  whatever  he  wished,  whether 
it  was  a  successful  hunt  for  moose,  or  the  routing  of  a 
fierce  band  of  Iroquois.  At  last  he  would  be  rewarded 
with  a  dream,  depicting  the  very  thing  he  desired  —  a 
natural  result  where  the  mind  held  but  one  idea  for  days 


74  EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

and  the  body  was  exhausted  from  hunger.  Afterward  the 
members  of  the  tribe,  considering  the  dream  a  message 
to  this  favored  son,  immediately  laid  their  plans  for 
hunting  or  war,  or  whatever  the  dream  portrayed. 
Visions  do  not  come  to  everyone  that  fasts. 

Potawatomi  boys  at  about  the  age  of  ten  were  urged 
by  their  parents  to  fast  all  day  and  seek  a  vision  which 
would  enable  them  to  select  a  guardian  spirit  that  would 
bring  them  success  through  life.  Boys  sixteen  or  more 
were  required  to  fast  from  four  to  eight  days.  After  a 
boy  had  had  a  vision  he  was  considered  a  man,  according 
to  Strong. 

The  Potawatomi  of  the  Woods  retained  the  ancient 
customs  of  the  Algonquian  Indians,  while  the  Potawa- 
tomi of  the  Prairie  were  influenced  by  the  Miami,  Illinois, 
Sauk  and  Foxes,  in  consequence  of  which  many  of  their 
customs  were  changed. 

William  Jones,  an  educated  full  blooded  Sauk,  says 
in  one  of  his  articles  that  there  was  a  tendency  among 
the  Potawatomi  to  elide  vowels  and  syllables,  due  to  the 
rapidity  with  which  the  dialect  is  spoken,  as  compared 
with  the  speech  of  the  Ottawa  and  the  Chippewa. 

The  Indian  character  is,  in  itself,  so  contradictory 
that  it  is  difficult  to  describe  it.  The  red  man  has  many 
good  traits,  and  many  that  are  —  according  to  our  ideas 
—  not  good;  traits  similar  to  those  belonging  to  a  spoiled 
child.  Colonel  Johnson  (U.  S.  Commissioner),  says  that 
the  Indian  was  absolutely  honest  in  his  dealings  in  money 
matters  and  if  one  were  found  who  had  been  dishonest, 
he  was  dealt  with  severely  by  the  chiefs.  He  was  a 
staunch  and  faithful  friend,  but  a  bitter  and  cruel  enemy. 
He  was  a  hero  worshiper,  and  had  great  respect  for  the 


HABITS  OF  THE  INDIAN  75 

heroes  and  sages  of  his  tribe.  It  was  due  to  this  rever- 
ence that  members  of  a  tribe  lived  so  harmoniously  to- 
gether, as  the  word  of  the  elders  was  always  heeded,  and 
quarreling  and  wrangling  in  a  tribe  were  unknown. 

A  parent  seldom  struck  a  child  and  a  child  seldom 
cried.  An  Indian  would  stalk  an  enemy  rather  than  face 
him  and  give  an  open  blow.  For  glory  he  would  face  the 
worst  torture,  enduring  cold  and  hunger,  and  even  brave 
death  itself  for  it. 

An  Indian  is  trained  to  conceal,  rather  than  subdue 
his  emotions,  always  repressing  any  exhibition  of  tender 
feelings,  scorning  them  as  beneath  him;  whereas  the 
women  in  grief,  not  only  give  way  to  their  feelings,  but 
join  together  in  dismal  howlings  and  lamentations  that, 
Parkman  says,  "  would  put  to  shame  an  Irish  death- 
howl.  ' '  However,  if  a  man  has  a  toothache,  it  is  a  very 
different  matter,  although  toothache  in  the  early  Indian 
days  was  rather  an  uncommon  thing.  "The  toothache/' 
says  Roger  Williams,  in  his  observation  on  the  customs 
of  the  New  England  tribes,  "is  the  only  paine  which  will 
force  their  stoute  hearts  to  cry,"  and  states  that  the  In- 
dian women  never  cry  as  he  has  heard  "some  of  their 
men  in  this  paine. ' ' 

Referring  to  the  well  preserved  teeth  of  the  Indians, 
it  may  be  said  that  several  hundred  skulls  were  examined 
in  the  National  Museum  in  Washington  and  only  one  de- 
cayed tooth  was  found.  This  perfect  condition  of  the 
teeth  was  due  to  the  primitive  diet,  as  the  food  of  the 
early  Indian  contained  plenty  of  lime  and  phosphates  for 
both  body  use  and  the  necessary  upkeep  of  the  teeth. 
Within  the  last  few  years,  five  skulls  were  washed  up  on 
the  shore  of  the  Menominee  River  in  Wisconsin  and  every 


76         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

tooth  in  these  skulls  was  found  to  be  in  absolutely  perfect 
condition. 

A  game  the  Indian  children  used  to  play  to  learn  to 
bear  pain  stoically,  was  to  hold  live  embers  between  the 
body  and  the  arm,  the  winner  being  the  one  who  held  the 
embers  the  longest.  The  children  were  interested  in 
public  affairs  from  their  earliest  infancy. 

Traditions  were  passed  down  from  one  generation  to 
another  by  a  limited  number  of  young  men  with  excellent 
memories  appointed  by  the  sage  to  memorize  the  tradi- 
tions. 

Benjamin  Hill  says  in  his  recollections :  "The  Indian 
will  get  the  pipe  and  light  it  and  take  a  puff,  and  touch 
the  ground  with  the  end  that  he  has  put  in  his  mouth  and 
pass  the  pipe  over  to  you.  You  take  the  pipe,  take  a  puff 
or  two,  touch  it  to  the  ground  and  pass  it  back  again. 
You  have  made  a  friend  of  him." 

The  Indian  mother  left  her  papoose  in  its  cradle- 
board  outside  the  door.  One  could  pat  its  head  or  even 
squeeze  it,  but  it  would  not  cry.  Mr.  Hill  said  he  had 
never  heard  an  Indian  baby  cry. 

Dancing  and  singing  formed  a  very  important  part 
in  the  life  of  the  Indian,  and  was  usually  a  religious  cere- 
mony to  benefit  the  whole  tribe.  There  was,  a  dance  for 
almost  every  occasion  —  before  a  war,  and  in  celebration 
after ;  before  a  hunt,  or  in  the  midst  of  it,  if  the  hunt  was 
proving  unsuccessful;  when  the  Indians  treated  their 
sick;  and  when  they  made  treaties.  In  the  war  dance, 
the  men  painted  their  faces  and  bodies  as  if  for  war,  and 
had  everything  around  them  pertaining  to  war.  The 
scalp  dance  was  a  victory  dance,  in  celebration  of  a  suc- 
cessful battle ;  the  buffalo  dance  was  to  compel  herds  of 


78         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

buffalo  to  appear,  when  a  hunt  had  been  unsuccessful,  at 
which  time  the  dancers  were  dressed  in  buffalo  skins  and 
wore  the  horns  of  buffalo  on  their  heads. 

In  all  these  dances,  those  who  took  part  either  used 
rattles  made  of  dried  balls  of  skin  tied  on  wooden 
handles,  or  small  gourds  with  rattlers  in  them,  or  they 
drew  bones  across  notched  sticks.  Drums  and  tambou- 
rines were  used  entirely  for  the  beating  of  time,  and  the 
beaters  did  not  take  part  in  the  dancing,  but  sat  at  one 
side. 

The  songs  did  not  have  a  great  range  of  tone,  but  the 
rhythm  was  perfect. 

The  dancer  had  to  be  cleansed  or  purified  before 
taking  part  in  one  of  these  ceremonials,  if  the  desired 
result  was  to  be  obtained.  The  cleansing  was  done  in 
various  ways: — taking  a  sweat  bath,  afterward  rubbing 
the  body  with  sweet  smelling  plants;  sitting  in  smoke 
from  the  burning  of  a  sacred  herb  or  wood;  or  fasting 
for  several  days.  The  dancer  was  not  to  touch  anything 
he  had  used  before,  nor  must  he  come  in  contact  with 
another  person.  Objects  to  be  used  during  the  ceremony 
were  purified  by  holding  them  in  sacred  smoke. 

There  is  a  general  impression  that  the  Indian  woman 
was  a  very  much  imposed  upon  person,  but  probably  the 
work  was  divided  in  a  manner  the  Indian  thought  was 
fair.  Although  the  women  were  expected  to  cultivate  the 
soil,  carry  the  burdens,  put  up  the  tents  for  lodges  —  all 
of  which  we  consider  the  man's  share  of  the  work  —  the 
man  had  to  provide  food  for  the  family  and  be  free  to 
kill  game  the  moment  any  should  appear.  Moreover,  as 
hostile  Indians  were  always  lurking  around,  the  man 
must  be  free  to  protect  his  family  in  case  of  an  attack. 


HABITS  OF  THE  INDIAN  79 

Hunting  and  fishing  with  him  were  not  pastimes,  but  a 
real  business  to  obtain  food.  The  strenuous  hours  of 
dancing  must  have  been  more  tiresome  for  the  man  than 
the  same  number  of  hours  of  toil  in  the  field  was  for  the 
woman. 

The  woman  was,  in  some  tribes,  the  real  head  of  the 
house,  and  frequently  decided  momentous  questions,  such 
as  of  peace  or  war.  If  the  man  failed  to  do  his  part  in 
providing  for  the  family,  the  woman  could  drive  him 
away. 

The  Indians  are  great  story  tellers,  and  a  story  is  a 
valuable  personal  possession.  If  one  sold  a  story,  he 
must  never  tell  that  story  again,  as  it  belongs  to  another. 
Certain  stories  must  be  told  only  at  certain  times.  Some 
"old  stories' '  must  be  told  only  in  the  winter,  for  in  the 
summer,  when  the  leaves,  are  on  the  trees,  the  spirits  in 
them  would  hear,  but  in  the  winter  with  the  snow  on  the 
ground  and  the  leaves  gone  from  the  trees  and  the  trees 
themselves  appearing  to  be  dead,  it  is  safe  to  tell  these 
stories  by  the  campfire.  A  myth  may  be  told  by  the  Sauk 
and  Foxes,  and  the  Kickapoo  only  in  winter.  To  tell  a 
myth  out  of  season  is  to  take  chances  with  something 
beyond  human  power.  These  stories  may  be  of  their  own 
brave  deeds,  the  brave  deeds  of  their  tribe,  of  some  great 
hero  of  the  tribe,  or  of  how  the  earth  was  created.  If  a 
man  told  a  story  that  seemed  improbable,  some  one 
handed  the  medicine  man  a  pipe,  who  painted  the  stem  red 
and  prayed  over  it ;  he  then  handed  it  to  the  man  whose 
story  he  doubted,  bidding  him  smoke,  but  to  remember, 
if  he  did  smoke,  the  story  must  be  "as  sure  as  there  is 
a  hole  through  the  stem.  So  your  life  shall  be  long  .... 
but  if  you  have  spoken  falsely,  your  days  are  counted. ' ' 


80 


EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


If  the  man  refused  to  smoke,  all  knew  that  his  story  was 
not  true.  With  such  a  custom,  it  is  probable  there  were 
few  boasters  among  the  red  men. 

An  Indian  never  walked  around  while  smoking.  He 
pursued  his  smoking  in  silence,  as  smoking  was  consid- 
ered a  communion  with  the  Great  Spirit,  The  pipes 
never  left  the  Indians'  mouths,  while  in  council,  for 
"good  thoughts  come  while  smoking." 

'Picture-writing"  was  a  custom  of  the  Indians,  and 
a  piece  of  birchbark,  with  a  few  pictures  hastily  scratched 


Indian  Letter 

(Schoolcraft) 

on  it  would  take  two  or  three  times  its  space  to  tell  in 
words  all  that  it  conveyed.  Even  the  pole,  to  which  the 
birchbark  was  attached,  was  placed  in  the  ground  in  a 
way  that  had  a  meaning  —  the  direction  of  the  journey. 
The  number  of  days  that  would  be  required  to  make  the 
journey  was  told  by  the  notches  on  the  pole.  The  Indians 
in  the  pictures  were  represented  without  hats,  while  the 
soldiers  and  officers  wore  hats;  the  soldiers  had  guns, 
and  the  duty  of  each  officer  was  shown  by  that  which  he 


HABITS  OF  THE  INDIAN  81 

carried  in  his  hand  —  sword,  book  or  hammer.  Even  their 
food  was  shown  —  turtle,  prairie  hen,  or  whatever  it  was, 
as  well  as  who  partook  of  it.  The  missionaries  tell  ns 
that  they,  too,  made  their  marks  in  the  woods  to  let  the 
Indian  know  they  had  passed. 

Wampum  was  used  as  a  medium  of  exchange  and 
was  originally  made  from  sea  shells.  After  the  coming 
of  the  white  man,  porcelain  beads  were  used.  A  wampum 
belt  sometimes  contained  five  thousand  beads. 

In  the  making  of  the  shell  wampum,  a  piece  of 
shell  would  be  ground  down  to  the  thickness  of  a  straw, 
then  held  stationary  in  the  left  hand  against  a  drill 
rolled  over  the  thigh  by  the  right  hand.  The  drill  con- 
sisted of  a  sharp  pointed  stone  stuck  in  the  end  of  a 
reed. 

The  wampums  were  made  with  different  colors  pre- 
dominating. "The  purple,"  one  writer  tells  us,  "was 
to  the  Indians  as  gold  is  to  us,  and  white  as  our  silver  is 
to  us."  The  prevailing  color  of  the  wampum  belt  sent 
to  summon  tribes  to  war  was  red  and  black.  The  pre- 
vailing color,  in  time  of  peace,  was  white. 

Perhaps  the  largest  wampum  belt  ever  made  was 
the  one  Pontiac  had  his  squaws  make.  It  was  six  feet 
long  and  four  inches  wide,  and  symbols  were  woven  in 
it  from  end  to  end  of  the  various  tribes  and  villages  un- 
der his  alliance,  which  numbered  forty-seven. 

King  Philip,  the  famous  chief,  had  a  coat  made  en- 
tirely of  "wampampeog"  and  when  he  needed  money, 
he  would  cut  a  piece  from  his  coat. 

Sometimes  tobacco  was  used  instead  of  the  wam- 
pum belt.  Tobacco  was  considered  an  emblem  of  de- 
liberation. 


82         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

There  was  one  person  selected  as  "keeper  of  the 
belts"  and  he  was  supposed  to  know  what  each  figure 
and  symbol  represented  and  to  give  out  this  information 
from  time  to  time. 

The  greatest  painter  of  Indian  portraits  was  George 
Catlin,  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1796,  and  educated  for 
the  practice  of  law.  He  traveled  all  through  the  Indian 
country,  spending  many  years  making  paintings  of  the 
red  men,  the  buffalo,  the  various  Indian  games,  and  of 
the  country.  He  found  it  no  easy  task  to  get  the  Indians 
to  pose  for  their  pictures,  as  they  held  some  superstition 
in  regard  to  having  a  likeness  made.  Even  today,  on 
the  reservations,,  some  hold  that  death  awaits  them  if 
their  pictures  are  made. 

One  fine  looking  chief  desired  Catlin  to  paint  his 
portrait,  which  Catlin  was  glad  to  do.  Another  chief  of 
the  same  tribe,  a  sour  tempered  man,  sneeringly  said  that 
Little  Bear,  the  other  chief,  was  but  half  a  man,  as  his 
picture  (profile)  proved  it.  This  led  to  trouble;  the  first 
chief  was  shot,  and  Catlin  lost  no  time  in  getting  out  of 
their  country. 

Many  of  Catlin 's  pictures  and  the  Indian  things  he 
collected  are  in  the  National  Museum  at  Washington. (3) 

A  murderer  was  not  punished  for  his  crime,  because 
he  may  have  been  intoxicated  at  the  time,  or  he  may  have 
struck  in  self  defense.  In  either  case,  it  was  considered 
his  own  affair.  Often  a  murderer  would  be  adopted  into 
a  family  in  the  place  of  the  man  he  had  killed.  He  would 
then  assume  the  dead  man's  responsibilities  and  enter 
into  all  his  rights. 


(3)  The  pipestone  found  in  the  quarries  in  Minnesota  has  been  given  the 
name  of  catlinite,  because  George  Catlin  was  the  first  white  man  to  visit  the; 
quarries. 


HABITS  OF  THE  INDIAN  83 

Theft,  however,  was  looked  upon  as  a  disgrace,  and 
the  thief  as  a  dishonor  to  the  family.  That  stain  was 
sometimes  wiped  out  by  his  blood. 

The  Indians  were  great  gamblers.  Platter,  or  bones, 
one  of  the  most  popular  games  among  the  Potawatomi, 
was  sometimes  played  for  several  days  at  a  time,  the 
Indians  staking  everything  they  wore  and  all  the  mov- 
ables in  the  cabins  and  sometimes  even  their  personal 
liberty,  which  is  the  dearest  thing  on  earth  to  the  Indian. 
In  the  game  La  Crosse,  a  favorite  of  the  Illinois  Indians, 
the  female  relatives  would  sometimes  be  gambled  away 
in  the  excitement. 

Many  diseases  were  unknown  until  the  coming  of 
the  white  man,  such  as  small  pox,  measles,  gout  and 
apoplexy. 

Each  Indian  had  one  particular  and  very  much  loved 
friend,  whom  he  hoped  to  meet  and  never  to  part  from 
in  the  next  world. 

After  liquor  had  been  introduced,  the  fields  at  times 
echoed  with  the  most  hideous  howlings,  winch  Charlevoix 
describes  as  sounding  like  the  howlings  of  a  gang  of 
devils  let  loose  from  hell. 

Sweating  or  vapor  baths  were  a  grand  remedy  for 
every  ill.  After  the  sweating  the  person  jumped  into 
cold  water,  or  had  cold  water  thrown  over  him.  This 
bath  would  be  prepared  for  visitors  as  a  mark  of  respect, 
and  the  host  kept  the  guest  company  in  the  bath.  After 
the  vapor  bath,  the  feet  would  be  rubbed  with  oil.  This 
treatment  was  for  the  purpose  of  calming  the  mind  and 
refreshing  the  body. 

The  vapor  bath  was  used  also  in  a  kind  of  ceremonial 
rite  among  the  Algonquian  Indians. 


84         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

A  Fox  Indian  would  slash  the  skin  on  his  arms  and 
legs,  before  entering  the  bath,  believing  that  the  manitou 
held  within  the  stone  would  escape  with  the  steam  and 
enter  his  body  through  the  slashed  skin.  He  claimed  to 
experience  great  benefit  immediately  upon  the  entrance 
of  the  manitou  into  his  body.  The  steam  was  made  by 
a  stone  being  heated  and  dropped  into  the  water. 

If  a  man  knew  he  was  about  to  die,  he  would  pre- 
pare his  own  funeral  oration,  and  give  orders  for  his 
funeral  feast.  All  his  dogs  were  caught,  and  their 
throats  cut.  Then  they  were  thrown  into  a  kettle  of  boil- 
ing water.  Possibly  this  practice  was  discontinued  after 
the  coming  of  the  white  man,  as  sometimes  the  dog  was 
buried  with  his  master. 

An  Indian  can  imitate  perfectly  the  call  of  a  bird  or 
the  cry  of  an  animal,  and  the  white  men  were  often  lured 
to  their  death  in  this  way. 

Trees  were  felled  by  applying  fire  near  the  roots  and 
cutting  away  the  charcoal  with  flint  or  heavy  shells,  as 
the  fire  burnt  into  the  wood.  A  plaster  covering  of  mud 
was  used  to  prevent  the  fire  from  extending  higher  than 
it  was  needed.  This  method  was  also  used  to  cut  logs 
into  the  desired  lengths  for  canoes. 

Arrow  heads  were  two  inches  or  less  in  length,  and 
could  be  chipped  out  in  one  or  two  minutes.  A  well 
formed  ax,  grooved  and  polished,  was  made  in  sixty-six 
hours  of  actual  working  time  recently  at  the  National 
Museum  from  a  block  of  nephrite,  the  hardest  and  tough- 
est rock  known,  and  the  tools  used  were  jasper  hammers 
for  shaping,  and  quartzites  for  smoothing.  From  an- 
other rock  a  little  softer  than  granite  a  grooved  ax  was 
completed  in  two  hours.    An  Indian  has  been  known  to 


HABITS  OP  THE  INDIAN 


85 


make  a  symmetrical  arrow  head  or  flint  knife  in  from 
five  to  ten  minutes,  and  a  rougher  one  in  a  minute  or  two. 
Perforators  were  made  of  flint  and  were  used  as  awls  to 
make  holes  when  sewing  skins. 

An  Indian,  by  examining  a  footprint,  was  able  to  tell 
to  what  tribe  the  one  who  made  it  belonged.    Radisson, 


%r^ 


Chippewa  Squaws  Gathering  Rice 

(Schoolcraft) 


one  of  the  early  priests  traveling  in  the  Northwest  terri- 
tory wrote,  in  1568,  in  his  quaint  style,  "All  knows  one 
another  by  their  march,  for  each  hath  his  proper  steps, 
some  upon  their  toes,  some  on  their  heels,  which  is  natural 
to  them,  for  when  they  are  infants,  the  mother  warpeth 
them  to  their  mode." 


86         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

It  is  claimed  that  the  Chippewa,  the  largest  tribe 
of  the  Algonquins,  made  the  finest  canoes  in  all  the 
world.  Their  canoes  would,  with  care,  last  five  or  six 
years,  while  those  of  the  Iroquois  were  so  poorly  built 
that  they  lasted  only  about  a  month.  The  Chippewa 
stripped  the  bark  from  the  birch  trees  for  their  canoes 
in  August,  when  the  sap  was  going  down.  The  bark  for 
the  bottom  had  to  be  the  full  length  of  the  canoe,  twenty 
feet,  but  the  sides  could  be  pieced.  The  canoes  were  two 
feet  in  width.  They  were  strengthened  inside  with  very 
thin  cedar  floors  and  gunwales,  so  that  one  man  could 
carry  a  canoe  with  ease.  One  of  these  canoes  could  carry 
four  men  and  eight  or  nine  hundredweight  of  baggage. 
Gallinee  said  that  one  was  not  even  a  finger's  breadth 
from  death  in  a  canoe  of  the  Chippewa,  only  the  thick- 
ness of  four  or  five  sheets  of  paper. 

The  Indian's  snow  shoes,  or  rackets,  as  the  mission- 
aries called  them,  were  a  source  of  interest  to  the  early 
Frenchmen,  and  were  very  much  admired  by  them. 

Fire  was  made  by  twirling  one  long  pointed  stick  be- 
tween the  hands,  with  its  sharp  end  in  the  hollow  of 
another  piece  of  wood.  Pieces  of  burning  birch  bark 
were  used  for  lighting  purposes. 

The  Indians  of  the  Plains  went  on  buffalo  hunts 
about  twice  a  year.  Often  whole  villages  took  part.  Val- 
uables would  be  buried ;  tents  rolled  and  tied  to  the  pon- 
ies (nineteenth  century)  and  looked  after  by  the  women. 
The  man  must  not  be  burdened  as  it  was  his  job  to  kill 
the  game.  Dr.  Strong  says  that  among  the  Potawatomi 
Indians  the  leaders  of  the  buffalo  hunt  were  chosen  from 
among  the  principal  men  of  the  buffalo  clan.  The  keeper 
of  the  sacred  clan  bundle  was  usually  chosen  also.     A 


HABITS  OF  THE  INDIAN  87 

feast  was  held  which  was  supposed  to  attract  the  buffalo. 
After  the  feast,  there  was  an  eating  contest  between 
representatives  of  the  two  tribal  divisions.  The  win- 
ners were  appointed  to  carry  the  sacred  buffalo  clan 
bundle  on  the  hunt.  Sixteen  braves  were  appointed  as 
police,  and  no  hunting  was  allowed  while  traveling  west, 
for  fear  it  might  frighten  the  herds.    When  the  buffalo 


Courtesy  of  Chicago  Historical  Society 

Buffalo  Hunt 

(G.  Catlin) 

were  sighted,  the  hunters  were  divided  into  two  groups 
to  surround  the  herd,  and  the  hunt  was  carried  on  under 
the  supervision  and  control  of  the  police. 

Bears  were  hunted  in  the  winter,  while  they  were 
sleeping  in  caves.  Beaver,  otter,  mink  and  muskrat  were 
trapped.    Ducks  and  geese  were  killed  and  preserved  in 


88         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

brine.  Large  parties  were  sent  out  to  secure  deer. 
(Strong) 

The  Miami,  during  buffalo  hunts,  surrounded  the 
herd  with  grass  fires,  leaving  only  a  small  opening,  where 
the  buffalo  were  shot,  as  they  stampeded  from  the  fire. 
(Hennepin) 

The  buffalo  had  a  peculiar  habit.  One  would  go 
round  and  round,  encompassing  an  area  of  two  or  three 
acres,  gradually  making  the  circle  smaller,  beating  the 
snow  down,  until  it  came  to  the  center,  when  it  would  lie 
down,  rising  only  to  eat  the  tender  branches  of  the  trees 
within  reach.  It  would  not  go  out  of  this  circle  until 
hunger  compelled  it  to  do  so. 

The  buffalo  hair  falls  off  in  summer  and  the  skin 
becomes  as  soft  as  velvet.  At  this  season,  the  Indians 
used  the  hides  for  making  fine  robes,  which  they  painted 
in  various  colors. 

It  was  the  woman's  work  to  stretch  the  skins  of 
animals  and  take  care  of  the  meat.  The  skins  of  both 
deer  and  buffalo  were  stretched  on  the  ground  and 
pegged,  hairy  side  down.  Bone  scrapers  were  used  to 
thin  the  skin  and  take  off  the  fat.  As  the  skin  dried, 
brains,  liver,  and  fat  were  applied  and  rubbed  in;  the 
skin  was  then  rolled  up  and  left  several  days  to  soften, 
after  which  time  it  was  washed  like  linen  and  worked 
until  it  was  soft  and  pliable. 

The  meat  to  be  used  immediately  was  put  in  water  in 
a  skin  bag,  clean  side  up,  in  a  hole  in  the  ground.  Stones 
were  heated  and  dropped  in  the  water  with  the  meat,  and 
boiling  was  accomplished  in  this  way.  Thus  it  is  evident 
that  the  Indian  was  familiar  with  the  tireless  cooker 
many  years  before  the  white  man  ever  thought  of  it. 


HABITS  OF  THE  INDIAN  89 

The  curing  of  meat  was  a  long  and  tedious  process. 
It  was  cut  in  very  thin  strips  and  laid  on  a  grate  of  small 
wooden  switches,  three  feet  above  the  fire,  and  dried  over 
the  fire  until  there  was  no  moisture  left  in  it — as  dry  as 
a  piece  of  wood.  It  was  then  put  up  in  packages  of 
twenty  or  forty  pieces  each,  and  rolled  in  pieces  of  bark. 
In  this  way  it  would  keep  indefinitely.  When  it  was  to 
be  used,  it  was  reduced  to  a  powder  by  rubbing  between 
stones,  and  this  powder  boiled  in  water  for  a  broth,  with 
Indian  corn  added.  This  was  called  by  the  frontiersman, 
"jerked  meat." 

Pemmican  is  dried  buffalo  meat,  beaten  to  shreds, 
mixed  with  melted  suet  or  fat  and  packed  in  skins  which 
were  then  sewed  up.  This  was  taken  on  journeys,  to  be 
sliced  and  eaten.  A  very  small  strip  appeased  the 
appetite,  as  it  was  really  a  condensed  food,  and  antedated 
the  white  man's  condensed  food. 

Buffalo  grass  had  a  peculiarity  worth  mentioning 
here.  In  the  fall  a  film  formed  near  the  ground,  pre- 
venting part  of  the  sap  from  going  into  the  roots,  so 
that  all  during  the  winter  months  the  buffalo  could  paw 
away  the  snow  and  graze  on  the  tender,  juicy  blades  of 
grass  above  the  film.  This  grass  not  only  kept  the  ani- 
mals in  good  condition,  but  made  them  fat. 

The  beaver  skins  most  desired  by  the  French  were 
those  the  Indians  had  worn  next  to  their  bodies,  as  the 
oil  they  used  on  their  persons  made  the  fur  more  supple, 
and  therefore  more  valuable. 

Parkman  tells  us  that  the  English  and  the  French 
who  were  taken  prisoners  and  returned,  would  go  back  to 
the  Indians,  preferring  their  mode  of  living.  The  Indians 
who  were  taken  prisoners  while  young,  by  the  white  men, 


90         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

and  educated,  would  return  to  their  own  people  (when 
they  became  of  age  and  were  set  at  liberty),  and  would 
become  as  fond  of  the  Indian  way  of  living  as  though 
they  had  never  learned  any  other. 

In  the  early  days  the  only  animal  domesticated  was 
the  dog  and  it  was  probably  a  tamed  wolf.  The  dog  was 
used  as  food,  and  the  missionaries  tell  of  roasted  dog 
being  a  highly  prized  dish  at  great  feasts. 

The  horse  was  introduced  by  the  Spaniards.  Previ- 
ous to  the  coming  of  the  Spaniards,  the  red  men  traveled 
on  foot  or  by  canoe.  Though  they  had  no  other  means  of 
traveling,  trade  was  carried  on  between  tribes  living 
great  distances  apart. 

There  are  many  words  of  the  Algonquian  language 
that  we  use  as  freely  as  we  do  the  English — for  instance, 
the  words  wigwam,  papoose,  squaw,  and  moccasin. 


Chapter  V 
INDIAN  TREATIES 

REGARDING  the  many  treaties  with  the  Indians  who 
occupied  land  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  Illinois, 
there  were  four  that  affected  directly  the  Red  Men  of 
the  Chicago  area.  These  were  the  Treaty  of  1816  at  St. 
Louis,  Treaty  of  Prairie  du  Chien  in  1825,  Treaty  of 
Prairie  du  Chien  in  1829,  and  the  Treaty  of  Chicago  in 
1833. 

At  no  time  or  place  could  an  Indian  orator  display 
his  powers  to  better  advantage  than  before  a  council  fire, 
and  the  execution  of  the  treaties  afforded  the  white  man 
the  opportunity  of  appreciating  real  Indian  oratory.  The 
Indian  orator's  fire,  strength  and  pathos  would  have  done 
him  honor  at  any  gathering.  He  never  raised  his  voice 
to  any  considerable  pitch,  nor  did  he  use  any  gestures, 
yet  he  had  great  persuasive  powers.  He  could  speak  for 
four  or  five  hours  at  a  time,  neither  hesitating  nor  for- 
getting. Occasionally  he  used  little  sticks,  with  notches 
cut  thereon,  to  help  his  memory. 

Just  as  one  tribe  of  Indians  coveting  land  had 
warred  upon  another  and  weaker  tribe  and  taken  posses- 
sion of  the  latter 's  home  site,  so  did  the  white  man  come 
along,  coveting,  like  his  red  brother,  another's  land,  and 
by  means  not  always  fair  pushed  the  red  man  further  and 
further  to  the  west. 

No  government  was  ever  fairer  or  more  honest  to- 
ward a  weaker  people  than  that  of  the  United  States,  but 


92  EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

its  agents  were,  in  many  cases,  unscrupulous,  setting  out 
to  acquire  the  land  and  carrying  out  their  intentions, 
oftentimes,  by  methods  the  government  would  not  have 
approved.  When  we  consider  how  the  unsuspecting 
Indian  was  influenced  by  the  white  man,  the  miserly 
amounts  paid  for  the  land,  the  use  of  whiskey,  and  the 
cheap,  gaudy  wares  dangled  before  the  Eed  Man's  eyes, 
that  tempted  him  to  part  with  his  birthright  —  "the  land 
given  by  the  Great  Spirit  to  hunt  upon,  to  make  our  corn- 
fields upon,  to  live  upon  and  to  make  down  our  beds 
upon,  when  we  die.  ...  ",  every  honest  man  must  feel 
shame  that  some  of  our  land  came  to  us  through  such 
means. 

TREATY  OF  1816  AT  ST.  LOUIS 

August  24,  1816,  Ninian  Edwards,  William  Clark 
and  Auguste  Chouteau  executed  a  treaty  at  St.  Louis 
with  the  Ottawa,  Chippewa  and  Potawatomi  ceding 
"land  20  miles  wide  on  eastern  boundary  at  Lake  Michi- 
gan (being  ten  miles,  north  and  ten  miles  south  of  the 
Chicago  river  in  width)  and  extending  generally  south- 
west so  as  to  include  the  Chicago  Portage  and  a  strip 
of  land  extending  to  the  mouth  of  the  Fox  river. ' '  This 
strip  of  land  was  intended  to  be  used  for  the  building 
of  the  proposed  canal.  This  cession  is,  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  center  line  of  Indian  Boundary  Eoad,  be- 
ginning at  Lake  Michigan  at  a  point  —  in  the  words  of 
the  treaty  —  ten  miles  northward  of  the  mouth  of  Chi- 
cago Creek.  This  boundary  line  runs  southwest,  and  is 
known  as  Rogers  Avenue. 

This  treaty,  as  did  many  others,  contained  a  clause 
to  the  effect  that  the  Indians  might  hunt  or  fish  within 


INDIAN  TREATIES  93 

the  tract  so  long  as  it  continued  to  be  the  property  of  the 
United  States. 

TREATY  OF  PRAIRIE  DU  CHIEN  IN  1825 

The  Treaty  at  Prairie  du  Chien  was  for  the  purpose 
of  promoting  peace  between  various  tribes  of  Indians  in 
northern  Illinois  and  vicinity,  and  establishing  boundary 
lines  between  them.  The  Sioux  —  the  Iroquois  of  the 
West,  as  the  early  Frenchmen  were  wont  to  call  them — 
had  warred  upon  the  Sauk  and  Foxes  and  the  Chippewa, 
and  the  government,  fearing  they  would  extend  their  war 
invasions  and  involve  other  tribes  upon  the  Missouri, 
Mississippi  and  the  Lakes,  invited  the  tribes  to  assemble 
together,  that  future  trouble  might  be  avoided. 

The  fifteen  articles  of  the  treaty  dealt  with  the  fixing 
of  the  boundary  lines  and  the  respective  rights  of  hunt- 
ing, provided  for  peace  between  the  tribes,  and  acknowl- 
edged "the  general  controlling  power  of  the  United 
States." 

We  are  indebted  to  Henry  S.  Schoolcraft  in  his 
Thirty  Years  with  the  Indian  Tribes,  for  vivid  descrip- 
tions of  the  scenes  and  of  the  various  tribes  assembled. 
He  came  all  the  way  from  Mackinac  in  a  canoe  to  assist 
in  the  negotiations,  the  trip  taking  21  days.  The  follow- 
ing excerpts  are  from  his  work. 

"We  found  a  very  large  number  of  the  various  tribes 
assembled.  Not  only  the  village,  but  the  entire  banks 
of  the  river  (Mississippi)  for  miles  above  and  below  the 
town,  and  the  island  in  the  river,  were  covered  with  their 
tents.  The  Dakotahs,  with  their  high  pointed  buffalo 
skin  tents,  above  the  town,  and  their  decorations  and 
implements  of  flags,  feathers,  skins  and  personal  'brav- 


INDIAN  TREATIES  95 

eries',  presented  a  scene  of  a  Bedouin  encampment. 
Some  of  the  chiefs  had  the  skins  of  skunks  tied  to  their 
heels,  to  symbolize  that  they  never  ran,  as  that  animal  is 
noted  for  its  slow  and  self-possessed  movements.  The 
Winnebagoes  (of  Dakotan  stock)  were  encamped  near 
and  resembled  them  in  their  style  of  lodges,  arts  and 
general  decorations. 

"The  Chippewas  (the  best  representatives  of  the 
Algonquin  family)  .  .  .  were  well  represented. 

"The  Menomonies,  Pottowatomies  and  Ottawas  as- 
similated and  mingled  with  the  Chippewas. 

"But  no  tribe  attracted  as  intense  a  degree  of  inter- 
est as  the  Iowas  and  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  —  tribes  of 
radically  diverse  languages,  yet  united  in  a  league 
against  the  Sioux.  These  tribes  were  encamped  on  the 
island,  or  opposite  coast.  They  came  to  the  treaty 
ground,  armed  and  dressed  as  a  war  party.  They  were 
all  armed  with  spears,  clubs,  guns  and  knives.  Many  of 
the  warriors  had  a  tuft  of  red  horse  hair  tied  at  their 
elbows,  and  wore  a  necklace  of  grizzly  bears'  claws.  Their 
head  dress  consisted  of  red  dyed  horse  hair,  tied  in  such 
a  manner  to  the  scalp  lock  as  to  present  the  shape  of 
the  decoration  of  a  Roman  helmet.  The  rest  of  the  head 
was  completely  shaved  and  painted.  A  long  iron  shod 
lance  was  carried  in  the  hand.  A  species  of  baldrick 
(girdle)  supported  part  of  their  arms.  They  were,  in- 
deed, nearly  nude,  and  painted.  Often  the  print  of  the 
hand,  in  white  clay,  marked  the  back  or  shoulders.  They 
bore  flags  of  feathers.  They  beat  drums.  They  uttered 
yells  at  definite  points.  They  landed  in  compact  ranks. 
They  looked  the  very  spirit  of  defiance.  Their  leader 
stood  as  a  prince,  majestic  and  frowning.     The  wild, 


96         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

native  pride  of  man,  in  the  savage  state,  flushed  by  suc- 
cess of  war,  and  confident  in  the  strength  of  his  arm,  was 
never  so  fully  depicted  to  my  eyes.  And  the  forest  tribes 
of  the  continent  may  be  challenged  to  have  ever  pre- 
sented a  spectacle  of  bold  daring,  and  martial  prowess, 
equal  to  their  landing. 

"Their  martial  bearing  and  high  tone,  and  whole 
behavior  during  their  stay,  in  and  out  of  council,  was 
impressive  and  demonstrated,  in  an  eminent  degree,  to 
what  a  high  pitch  of  physical  and  moral  courage,  bravery 
and  success  in  war  may  lead  a  savage  people.  Keokuk, 
who  led  them,  stood  with  his  war  lance,,  high  crest  of 
feathers  and  daring  eye  . . .  and  when  he  spoke  in  council, 
and  at  the  same  time  shook  his  lance  at  his  enemies,  the 
Sioux,  it  was  evident  that  he  wanted  but  an  opportunity 
to  make  their  blood  flow  like  water.  Wapelo  and  other 
chiefs  backed  him,  and  the  whole  array,  with  their  shaved 
heads  and  high  crests  of  red  horse  hair,  told  the  spectator 
plainly  that  each  of  these  men  held  his  life  in  his  hand, 
and  was  ready  to  spring  to  the  work  of  slaughter  at  the 
cry  of  the  chief." 

This  treaty,  which  took  nearly  a  month  to  conclude, 
spelled  peace  to  the  various  tribes  who  had  trespassed 
on  each  other's  territories  and  so  had  kept  continually 
at  war  with  each  other. 

The  Indians  believed  that  the  commissioners  were 
opposed  to  the  use  of  spirituous  liquor  on  account  of  its 
expense,  and  not  on  account  of  the  bad  effects  it  pro- 
duced. In  order  to  disabuse  the  Indian  of  this  impres- 
sion, the  commissioners  decided  to  try  an  experiment 
which  they  hoped  would  prove  that  the  government  was 
above  such  a  petty  principle.    Accordingly,  a  row  of  tin 


INDIAN  TREATIES  97 

kettles,  each  holding  several  gallons  of  liquor,  was  placed 
on  the  grass  from  one  end  of  the  council  house  to  the 
other.  After  suitable  remarks,  the  contents  of  these 
kettles  were  emptied  on  the  ground.  This  action  did  not 
have  the  desired  result,  and  caused  the  Indians  to  be 
considerably  disgruntled  by  the  waste  of  good  whiskey. 

TREATY  OF  PRAIRIE  DU  CHIEN  IN  1829 

Three  tribes  —  the  Potawatomi,  the  Chippewa  and 
the  Ottawa  —  ceded  to  the  government  in  1829  at  Prairie 
du  Chien  a  large  territory  in  Illinois,  and  Wisconsin  be- 
tween the  Bock  river  and  the  Mississippi,  and  another 
tract  of  land  between  Eock  river  and  Lake  Michigan,  to 
the  west  and  north  of  land  ceded  by  Treaty  of  1816.  On 
Lake  Michigan  the  tract  included  in  width  the  site  of 
Evanston  and  nearly  all  of  Wilmette.  Its  description  in 
the  Treaty  reads,  "beginning  on  the  Western  shore  of 
Lake  Michigan  at  the  North  East  corner  of  the  field  of 
Antoine  Ouilmette,  who  lives,  at  Grosse  Pointe,  about 
twelve  miles  north  of  Chicago,  thence  running  due  west 
to  the  Eock  river."  Antoine  Ouilmette  had  located  at 
Grosse  Pointe  prior  to  1828. 

Over  15,000  acres  were  parceled  out  by  this  treaty  to 
sixteen  favored  and  more  or  less  deserving  individuals, 
some  of  them  Frenchmen,  some  Indian  wives  of  white 
men,  and  some  actual  signers  of  the  treaty,  such  as  In- 
dian chiefs  and  head  men.  Archange  Ouilmette,  wife  of 
Antoine,  and  her  children  received  two  sections  of  land, 
later  known  as  the  Ouilmette  Eeservation,  covering  part 
of  Evanston  and  most  of  the  Village  of  Wilmette.  Shab- 
bona,  a  Potawatomi  chief  friendly  to  the  whites,  very 
deservedly  received  a  reservation. 


98         EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Several  other  treaties  were  concluded  with  other 
tribes  at  this  time,  and  by  these  treaties,  for  a  compara- 
tively insignificant  compensation,,  the  Indians  parted 
with  their  right  to  eight  million  acres  of  land. 

Caleb  Atwater,  one  of  the  government  commission- 
ers, tells  how,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  treaties,  forty-two 
chiefs  and  head  men  sat  for  two  hours  on  raised  benches, 
admiring  the  gaudy  wares  and  merchandise,  for  which 
they  had  sold  their  birthright;  wearing  in  the  month  of 
August  fur  hats  "with  three  beautiful  ostrich  plumes  in 
each  hat";  gowned  in  ruffled  calico  shirts  and  adorned 
with  cheap  jewelry  and  government  medals,  given  them 
by  the  commissioners,  as  supposed  tokens  of  merit  and 
esteem.  Before  each  person,  male  and  female,  was  a 
pile  of  clothes  two  feet  high,  such  as  could  be  worn  dur- 
ing the  year.  The  sight  nearly  overcame  the  new  owners 
with  joy.  All  were  treated  alike,  and  a  gun  was  fired 
for  the  departure  of  each  nation.  Mr.  Atwater  further 
says :  "They  one  and  all  invited  me  to  visit  them  at  their 
new  abode.  In  a  few  minutes  they  were  off,  covering  a 
considerable  surface  with  their  canoes,  each  one  of  which 
carried  a  flag,  floating  on  the  gentle  breeze,  which  ruffled 
the  surface  of  the  Mississippi." 

TREATY  OF  CHICAGO  IX  1833 

The  Treaty  of  Chicago  in  1833  gave  the  white  man 
the  title  to  the  last  strip  of  land  owned  by  the  Indians 
in  the  State  of  Illinois. 

The  citizens  of  Chicago,  feeling  certain  that  the  In- 
dian title  would  be  extinguished  in  the  vicinity  by  the 
treaty  about  to  be  negotiated,  voted  for  the  incorporation 
of  the  town  August  5,  1833.    There  was  then  a  resident 


INDIAN  TREATIES  99 

population  of  about  150,  the  number  required  to  form 
a  corporate  town  organization.  After  the  treaty,  by 
the  close  of  the  year,  the  population  had  increased  to 
250. 

By  the  Treaty  of  Chicago,  concluded  September  26, 
1833,  the  Potawatomi  ceded  to  the  United  States  govern- 
ment a  vast  territory  " supposed  to  contain,"  according 
to  the  treaty,  " about  five  million  acres,"  in  southern 
Wisconsin,  in  Illinois,  and  large  tracts  in  Michigan  and 
Indiana  not  definitely  described.  This  treaty  extin- 
guished the  Indian  title  to  this  fair  state  of  ours,  giving 
the  white  man  the  right  to  the  land,  where  for  centuries 
the  Ked  Man  had  lived  and  loved  and  fought  and  died. 
It  provided  for  and  resulted  in  his  removal  west  of  the 
Mississippi,  which  took  place  a  few  years  later. 

The  consummation  of  this  treaty  took  more  than  a 
month,  and  during  this  time  within  a  radius  of  five  miles 
around  Chicago  five  thousand  Indians,  squaws  and  chil- 
dren, all  accompanied  by  their  dogs,  camped  and  lived 
well  at  the  expense  of  the  government.  No  longer  were 
these  Indians  the  powerful  and  proud  men  of  former 
times.  Whiskey  and  the  white  man's  influence  had  turned 
them  into  a  degraded  lot  of  people  for  the  most  part, 
putting  off  the  council  from  day  to  day.  Sometimes  a 
few  flimsy  clouds  in  the  sky  —  the  Indian  never  per- 
formed any  important  business  unless  the  sky  was  clear 
—  sometimes  a  chief  was  not  at  hand;  these  and  other 
petty  excuses  caused  the  delays.  They  and  their  families 
and  their  ponies  and  their  dogs  were  living  exceedingly 
well  without  toil  or  hardship.    Why  not  continue? 

Charles  J.  Latrobe,  a  highly  educated  English  writer, 
one-time  governor  of  New  South  Wales  and  of  another 


100       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

English  colony,  says  in  his  Rambler  of  North  America : 
' '  When  within  five  miles  of  Chicago  we  came  to  the  first 
Indian  encampment.  Five  thousand  Indians  were  said 
to  be  collected  round  this  little  upstart  village  for  the 
prosecution  of  the  Treaty,  by  which  they  were  to  cede 
their  lands  in  Michigan  and  Illinois. 

' '  The  Pottowatomies  were  encamped  on  all  sides  .  .  . 

"You  will  find  horse-dealers,  and  horse-stealers, 
rogues  of  every  description,  white,  black,  brown  and  red 
half-breeds,  quarter-breeds  and  men  of  no  breed  at  all; 
dealers  in  pigs,  poultry  and  potatoes.  .  .  .  The  little  vil- 
lage was  in  an  uproar  from  morning  to  night  and  from 
night  to  morning,  for  during  the  hours  of  darkness  .  .  . 
the  Indians  howled,  sang,  wept,  yelled  and  whooped.' ' 

There  was  no  national  costume,  each  one  dressing 
as  best  suited  his  taste  or  financial  standing.  There 
were  coats  of  every  color,  mostly  gaudy;  rich  sashes 
ornamented,  and  bright  colored  leggins;  embroidered 
petticoats  and  highly  ornamented  head  dresses,  covered 
with  various  trinkets,  such  as  plates  of  silver,  beads, 
and  mirrors. 

The  greater  number  of  the  women  were  not  gaily 
dressed;  "dandyism' '  seemed  to  belong  more  to  the 
men,  who  spent  hours  on  their  toilet,  painting  them- 
selves in  the  most  fantastic  styles.  Black  and  vermilion 
paint  was  used  in  many  ways,  all  more  or  less  "fanciful 
and  horrible."  Gambling  was  the  order  of  the  day. 
"The  interior  of  the  village  was  one  chaos  of  mud,  rub- 
bish and  confusion  ..." 

"Far  and  wide  the  prairies  teemed  with  figures, 
warriors  mounted  or  on  foot,  squaws  and  horses. 
Wrangling  and  weeping  could  be  heard  in  many  tents, 


INDIAN  TREATIES  101 

the  squaws,  as  well  as  the  master  of  the  tent,  being 
intoxicated. ' ' 

Meanwhile,  every  flimsy  excuse  was  offered  to  put 
off  the  assemblage  of  the  chiefs.  At  last,  on  the  twenty- 
first  of  September,  the  Potawatomi  decided  to  meet  the 
commissioners.  The  Council  Fire  was  lighted  under 
a  spacious  shed  on  the  green  meadow,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river  from  that  on  which  the  fort  stood.  This 
was  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  chief  government  com- 
missioner arose  and  asked  why  he  and  his  colleagues 
had  been  called  to  the  council.  An  old  warrior  arose 
and  gave  answer,  the  sum  and  substance  of  which  was 
that  the  assembled  chiefs  wished  to  know  what  was  the 
object  of  the  Great  Father  at  Washington  in  calling  his 
Red  Children  together  at  Chicago.  This  was  amusing, 
as  everything  had  been  explained  at  the  opening  session, 
and  especially  as  the  Red  Children  had  been  feasting 
sumptuously  at  the  expense  of  the  government  during 
the  intervening  time.  Replying,  the  commissioner  deliv- 
ered a  "real  Jacksonian  discourse,  amounting  to  almost 
a  threat  not  to  play  with  their  Great  Father,  but  to  come 
to  an  early  decision.' '    The  council  was  then  dissolved. 

A  few  days  later,  September  26,  the  Treaty  with  the 
Potawatomi  was  concluded,  "the  commissioners  putting 
their  hands,  and  the  assembled  chiefs  their  paws,  to  the 
same,"  and  the  last  of  the  land  in  Illinois  owned  by  the 
Indian  passed  into  the  white  man's  hands. 

A  couple  of  years  after  the  signing  of  this  treaty, 
in  1835  and  also  in  1836,  the  Potawatomi,  about  five 
thousand  in  number,  were  removed  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River  to  a  place  near  Fort  Leavenworth.  After  a 
year  or  two,  on  account  of  the  hostility  of  the  frontier 


102       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

settlers,  tliey  were  removed  to  Council  Bluffs  and  in  a 
few  years  some  were  again  removed  to  Kansas  and  the 
rest  to  Indian  Territory. 

They  were  gone,  the  last  of  the  Red  Men,  from  these 
parts,  and  the  white  man  settled  down  in  peace  and  con- 
tentment, building  his  home  where  the  Red  Man  had 
roamed  and  hunted  his  game,  had  wooed  the  dusky 
maiden,  brought  up  his  children,  and  buried  his  dead; 
but  ever  and  anon  one  of  the  Red  Children,  overcome 
by  homesickness,  wandered  back,  unwittingly  frighten- 
ing the  housewife  and  children,  as  he  peered  into  the 
window  of  a  pioneer  cabin,  or  strolled  in,  uninvited  and 
undesired,  to  throw  himself  before  the  fire-place,  where 
he  lay  deep  in  thought. 


Chapter  VI 
THE  FIRST  WHITE  MEN 

ACCORDING  to  the  earliest  records,  the  first  white 
l  men  who  coasted  the  shores  and  trod  the  land 
where  later  grew  Evanston,  were  men  of  strong  religious 
tendencies  and  great  intellectual  abilities,  men  not  unlike 
Evanston 's  own  founders,  who  were  God-loving  men 
and  women,  with  keen  appreciation  of  the  natural  beauty 
of  the  place. 

There  is  no  more  lovely  character  in  history  than 
that  of  Marquette,  missionary,  physician  and  kindly 
companion,  loved  by  white  man  and  Indian  alike;  nor 
is  there  one  stronger  in  purpose  than  La  Salle,  greatest 
of  French  adventurers,  who  set  his  goal,  and,  facing  it, 
marched  onward  through  untold  difficulties  and  hard- 
ships. He  was  denounced  as  a  madman,  his  friends 
turned  against  him  and  he  barely  escaped  death  by  a 
poison  put  in  his  food.  He  was  finally  assassinated  by 
one  of  his  own  men.  To  Marquette  and  Joliet,  we  owe 
the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi,(1)  gentle  Marquette,  and 


(1)  The  question  very  naturally  arises,  if  the  Mississippi  had  already  been 
discovered  by  De  Soto,  how,  then,  could  it  be  said  to  be  discovered  by  Marquette 
and  Joliet.  The  answer  is,  although  the  De  Soto  party  knew  the  river  to  be  navi- 
gable for  at  least  a  thousand  miles,  there  is  no  account  of  any  Spanish  vessel 
having  entered  it  to  further  trade  between  the  mother  country  and  the  natives.  The 
maps  of  that  time  and  for  a  hundred  years  after  show  but  an  insignificant  stream, 
called  the  Rio  del  Espiritu  Santo  (River  of  the  Holy  Ghost).  Thus  no  permanent 
good  resulted  from  the  discovery,  while  those  exploring  the  river  a  century  later 
made  accurate  maps  and  left  journals  filled  with  accounts  of  their  travels. 

Nevertheless,  both  De  Soto  and  the  Frenchmen,  Marquette  and  Joliet,  are  given 
credit  for  the  discovery,  as  in  the  rotunda  of  the  Capitol  Building  at  Washington  is 
the  famous  picture  by*Powell,  of  "The  Discovery  of  the  Mississippi  by  De  Soto  in 
1539,"  and  in  Statuary  Hall  is  the  figure  of  Marquette,  in  white  marble,  the  base 
of  which  bears  the  words,  "Jacques  Marquette,  Who  with  Louis  Joliet  Discovered 
the  Mississippi  in  1673." 


THE  FIRST  WHITE  MEN  105 

intrepid  Joliet,  first  American-born  explorer ;  both  close 
and  intelligent  observers,  Evanston's  first  white  visitors, 
two  and  a  half  centuries  ago. 

The  missionaries,  sent  out  by  their  various  orders 
that  the  "red  men  might  not  sit  in  darkness,"  accounted 
it  a  better  death  to  die  in  doing  their  duty,  whether  death 
came  by  starvation,  fever  or  the  scalping  knife,  than  to 
die  in  bed. 

The  explorers,  sent  out  by  their  government  intent 
on  acquiring  more  territory  to  extend  its  power,  or  to 
find  a  more  direct  route  for  trade  with  China  and  Japan, 
faced  danger  and  death  on  every  side,  traveling  thou- 
sands of  miles  by  water,  now  and  then  stopping  with 
Calumet  (peace-pipe)  held  high,  placating  the  ire  of  a 
savage  tribe  of  Indians,  whose  chiefs  would  then  invite 
them  on  land,  there  to  feast  them  unceasingly  for  hours, 
in  order  to  prove  their  friendship  toward  the  white  men. 

Strong  characters,  those  explorers ! 

Men  of  high  and  noble  purpose,  those  missionaries ! 

Small  wonder,  with  such  praiseworthy  examples  of 
unselfishness  and  self-sacrifice  set  before  them  that 
Evanston's  founders  should  build,  not  for  today,  but 
for  tomorrow ! 

Small  wonder,  with  the  memory  of  those  invincible 
men,  whose  motto  was  so  evidently  "Nil  desperandum," 
that  Chicago  should  adopt  the  motto  that  evolved  itself 
"I  will!" 

Although  Hernando  De  Soto  had  seen  and  crossed 
the  Mississippi  Eiver  in  the  sixteenth  century,  the  dis- 
covery was  never  made  use  of  and  was  almost  forgotten. 
De  Soto  died  in  the  wilderness  and  was  buried  there. 
His  men,  fearing  the  Indians  would  desecrate  his  grave, 


106        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

took  up  his  body  at  midnight  and  buried  it  beneath  the 
waters  of  the  great  river. 

A  century  later,  men  began  to  awaken  to  the  fact 
that  a  great  river,  called  by  the  Indians,  Miche  Sepi, 
existed.  The  prevailing  idea  was  that  this  great  river 
flowed  into  the  Vermilion  Sea  (Gulf  of  California).  If 
so,  it  would  afford  fine  opportunities  for  direct  trading 
by  western  passage  with  China  and  Japan. 

At  this  time  the  reigning  monarch  of  France  was 
Louis  XIV,  the  man  who  had  the  distinction,  at  his  death 
in  1715,  of  having  been  king  seventy-two  years.  Talon 
was  intendant  of  Canada,  and  Frontenac  was  governor 
of  New  France.  New  France  consisted  of  two  cities  — 
Montreal  (sometimes  called  Mont  Koyall),  and  Quebec  — 
and  the  far-scattered  forts  along  the  Great  Lakes.  In 
the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  the  French 
had  discovered  the  Upper  Country,  otherwise  known  as 
the  Northwest,  the  region  of  the  Great  Lakes  and  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  Mississippi  Valley;  the  first 
of  these  French  explorers  was  Samuel  de  Champlain, 
called  the  "Father  of  New  France,"  who  discovered  the 
Great  Lakes  and  planted  the  flag  of  France  on  the  shore 
of  Lake  Huron.  Wherever  a  fort  was  established,  soon 
there  would  be  a  mission  station,  and  vice  versa.  The 
mission  stations  were  all  quite  similar ;  each  consisted  of 
a  chapel,  and  a  few  houses  with  store-house,  which 
were  usually  made  of  logs,  or  of  birch  bark,  this  group 
of  buildings  being  fenced  in  by  palisades,  making  a 
stockade  fort,  and  the  whole  surrounded  by  cultivated 
fields. 

Louis  NIV  was  not  very  much  interested  in  his 
colonies  in  the  new  country,  but  Intendant  Talon  was 


THE  FIRST  WHITE  MEN  107 

ambitious  for  his  government  and  decided  to  send  an 
exploring  party  to  the  great  river,  hoping  to  add  the 
vast  territory  east  of  the  river  to  the  French  domain. 
The  English  occupied  the  sea-coast,  where  he  decided 
they  should  be  kept ;  as  to  the  possessions  of  the  Span- 
iards in  the  south,  it  was  likely  these  would  soon  be 
wrested  from  them  by  the  French.  In  1672,  he  chose 
Joliet,  with  Marquette  to  accompany  him,  for  the  expe- 
dition to  the  great  river  —  two  men  born  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  ocean  and  from  different  walks  in  life,  but 
each  fired  with  the  same  ambition,  to  explore. 

Louis  Joliet,  son  of  a  poor  wagon-maker,  was  born 
in  Lower  Town,  Quebec.  Lower  Town  was,  the  part  of 
Quebec  where  the  humble  folk  lived  and  toiled  content- 
edly on,  while  the  society  folk  of  Upper  Town  (Quebec) 
reproduced  all  the  brilliancy  and  gaiety  of  the  drawing 
rooms  of  Old  France,  each  part  of  the  town  ignoring 
alike  the  ever  impending  menace  of  an  Indian  uprising. 
Louis  Joliet(2)  grew  into  a  sturdy  boy,  with  an  aptitude 
for  mathematics,*3*  and  the  languages.  He  also  possessed 
a  talent  for  music.  All  through  his,  young  life  he  had 
listened  to  tales  of  adventure  from  the  missionaries  and 
fur-traders,  who  came  and  went  around  Quebec,  "  along 
the  mighty  waters  of  the  great  St.  Lawrence,' '  and  at 
twenty-one  he  renounced  the  clerical  vocation,  for  which 
he  had  studied,  and  decided  to  become  fur-trader  and 
explorer.  His  command  of  several  Indian  languages 
was  no  mean  asset  on  a  journey  of  this  kind. 


(2)  "Juillet"  is  the  French  spelling  of  the  name. 

(3)  At  a  very  tender  age,  it  is  claimed.  Joliet  showed  mature  observation 
and,  in  his  maps,  accurate  execution.  A  map  of  the  Island  of  Anticosti  and  of  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  made  when  he  was  thirteen,  holds  a  place  in  the  Department 
of  Marine  at  Paris.  This  island  was  later  presented  to  Joliet  by  the  government 
for  services  rendered. 


108       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Jacques  Marquette  was  born  in  Laon,  France,  of  an 
old  and  honorable  family.  He  joined  the  order  of  Jesuits 
at  seventeen.  Twelve  years  later  he  was  sent  to  the 
missions  in  Canada,  where  he  soon  arrived  at  the  con- 
viction that  the  conversion  of  the  red  man  was  his  real 
mission  in  life.  With  that  end  in  view,  he  set  himself 
to  learning  the  Indian  languages,  of  which  he  mastered 
no  less  than  six  in  a  few  years.  He  was,  of  a  gentle, 
noble  nature,  with  a  religious  zeal  far  out  of  proportion 
to  his  health  and  strength. 

These  two  were  to  be  companions  on  a  journey,  the 
"duration  of  which  they  could  not  foretell,  nor  the  end 
foresee.' ' 

Joliet,  upon  receiving  the  orders  from  the  govern- 
ment for  the  expedition,  began  his  long  and  tedious 
journey  to  St.  Ignace,  Michilimakinac,  on  the  north  shore 
of  the  strait,  where  Marquette  was  stationed.  Traveling 
had  become  difficult  by  the  eighth  of  December;  ice-floes 
had  formed  in  the  straits  and  he  found  it  no  easy  task 
to  steer  his  canoe  through  the  water,  or  pull  it  over  the 
ice.  Almost  exhausted  from  the  tiresome  journey,  he  at 
last  reached  his  destination.  Marquette,  hurrying  out 
to  welcome  the  weary  wayfarer,  found  to  his  great  joy 
that  he  was  an  old  friend,  and  was  delighted  to  receive 
the  orders  "to  accomplish  the  discovery,' '  and  consid- 
ered it  a  direct  answer  to  his  prayer  that  he  found  him- 
self "in  the  blessed  necessity"  of  exposing  his  life  for 
the  salvation  of  the  red  men. 

All  during  the  winter  months  the  two  men  worked 
over  plans  for  the  trip,  going  carefully  over  the  infor- 
mation they  had  in  regard  to  the  course  of  the  great 
river,  information  so  accurate  that  it  might  have  been 


THE  FIRST  WHITE  MEN  109 

gathered  by  a  white  man  who  had  traveled  the  river's 
entire  length,  instead  of  coming  from  the  Indians. 

Spring  came.  The  sun's  rays  began  to  warm  the 
earth;  birds  began  to  arrive  from  the  south,  hunting 
nesting  places  and  vying  with  each  other  in  song.  The 
time  was  ripe  for  the  beginning  of  the  great  journey. 
Marquette  says,  in  his  journal:  "We  were  not  long  in 
preparing  our  equipment,  although  we  were  about  to 
begin  a  journey,  the  duration  of  which  we  could  not  see. 
Indian  corn,  with  some  smoked  meat,  constituted  all  our 
provisions;  with  these  we  embarked,  Monsieur  Jolliet 
and  myself,  with  five  men  in  two  canoes,  fully  resolved 
to  do  and  suffer  everything  for  so  glorious  an  under- 
taking. Accordingly,  on  the  17th  of  May,  1673,  we 
started  from  the  mission  house  at  St.  Ignace,  at  Michili- 
makinac,  where  I  then  was." 

It  must  have  been  a  picturesque  sight  that  May  day, 
Marquette  and  Joliet  and  their  five  men,  stepping  into 
the  two  canoes,  which  had  been  previously  equipped 
with  their  meager  baggage  —  Marquette,  frail  and  slight 
of  physique,  in  his  long  black  cassock  and  shovel  hat; 
Joliet  of  sturdier  build,  in  his  fringed  buckskin  coat 
and  trousers,  and  broad  brimmed  hat.  With  what  joy 
they  plied  their  paddles  on  the  waters  of  Lake  Huron, 
the  Lake  of  Illinois  (Michigan)  and  Green  Bay,  begin- 
ning their  journey. 

The  first  tribe  of  Indians  they  visited  was  the 
Menominee (4)  on  the  Menominee  Eiver,  who  urged  them 
to  discontinue  their  journey,  pointing  out  that  there  were 
unfriendly  nations  who  would  break  their  heads  without 

(4)  The  Menominee  was  an  important  tribe  of  the  Algonquin  family,  living 
in  Wisconsin;  they  derived  their  name  from  wild  rice,  plentiful  in  their  habitat, 
which  was  their  standard  article  of  food. 


110       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

provocation ;  that  there  were  monsters  who  wonld  devour 
men  and  canoes  together;  a  demon  who  swallowed  all 
who  approached  him;  and  lastly,  as  a  convincing  argu- 
ment, that  the  heat  further  south  was  so  excessive  that 
it  would  cause  their  deaths.  In  the  face  of  all  this,  the 
brave  men  pushed  on,  after  thanking  the  Indians  for 
their  kind  and  well-meant  advice. 

From  the  bay  the  travelers  entered  a  beautiful  river, 
later  known  as  the  Fox  River,  on  account  of  the  Fox 
Indians  settling  on  its  banks.  This  river  was  full  of 
bustards,  ducks,  teal  and  other  birds,  attracted  by  the 
wild  oats.  Marquette  says,  "the  birds  rose  in  clouds 
from  the  river,  as  we  approached.' '  On  the  Fox  River 
they  came  to  the  village  of  the  Miami,  the  Maskoutens 
(Fire  Nation)  and  the  Kickapoo.  This  was  the  limit  of 
the  recorded  discoveries  that  the  French  had  made  up  to 
that  time.  The  Miami,  they  found,  were  of  good  dispo- 
sition, civil,  gentle  and  desirous  of  learning,  and  far  in 
advance  of  the  other  two  nations. 

As  the  river  was  winding  and  full  of  wild  oats,  it 
was  difficult  to  find  the  channel,  and  the  travelers  asked 
for  guides  to  take  them  up  the  Fox  River  and  across  the 
portage  to  the  Meskousing  (Wisconsin) (5)  River.  Two 
Miami  guides  accompanied  them  and  left  them  after  they 
had  crossed  the  portage  of  2,700  paces (6)  (one  and  one- 
half  miles)  to  the  "Wisconsin  River.  Thus  they  left  the 
waters  that  flowed  into  the  great  St.  Lawrence  and 
embarked  on  waters  that  flowed  —  they  knew  not  where! 
Proceeding  down  the  Wisconsin,  they  entered  the  Mis- 


(5)  Wisconsin   from  Indian   name,    Meskousing,   meaning  the   gathering  place 
of  waters. 

(6)  A   pace   is   an   ordinary   step  —  30   inches. 


THE  FIRST  WHITE  MEN  111 

sissippi  on  the  seventeenth  of  Jnne,  1673,  "with  a  joy  I 
cannot  express' ' — so  writes  Marquette. 

What  a  trip  for  two  men  in  the  prime  of  life  — 
Joliet,  twenty-eight,  and  Marquette,  thirty-seven  —  men 
keenly  alive  to  all  the  beauty  that  Dame  Nature,  at  her 
best  in  the  month  of  June,  spread  before  their  eyes! 
The  grandeur,  as  well  as  the  glory  of  it  all,  must  have 
caused  them  to  gaze  with  awe  on  the  wonderful  scenes 
on  either  side  of  the  river,  these  men  —  Joliet  "who 
played  the  organ  between  voyages,"  fully  capable  of 
appreciating  all  that  came  within  his  vision;  Marquette, 
whose  eye  for  the  beautiful  missed  nothing  along  the 
way,  but  noted  with  admiration  the  fertile  lands,  the 
woods  and  the  hills,  where  oak  and  walnut  and  basswood 
trees  abounded;  he  noted,  too,  the  deer  and  large  num- 
bers of  wild  cattle  (American  buffalo).  The  latter  in- 
terested him  greatly,  and,  after  giving  a  good  descrip- 
tion of  them,  he  says,  "If  a  person  fire  at  them  from  a 
distance  with  bow  or  gun,  he  must  immediately  hide  him- 
self in  the  grass,  as,  if  they  perceive  him,  they  will  run 
after  and  attack  him.,,  The  buffalo  would  kill  men  by 
trampling  them  under  foot.  The  travelers  saw  many  of 
them  and  Marquette  counted  four  hundred  in  a  single 
herd.  A  catfish  that  grows  to  immense  size  in  the  west- 
ern waters  struck  their  canoe  with  such  violence  that 
they  thought  it  was  a  tree  about  to  break  their  canoe  to 
pieces.  They  caught  sturgeon  in  their  nets  and  a  very 
rare  Mississippi  fish,  called  by  the  French  le  spatule. 
This  fish  frequently  falls  backward  into  the  water  when 
it  leaps  on  account  of  the  disk-shaped  bone  on  its  nose. 

For  eight  days,  after  entering  the  Mississippi,  the 
men  saw  no  trace  of  human  habitation  —  eight  days  of 


112       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

solitude  broken  only  by  the  songs  of  birds,  the  sound  of 
the  wind  through  the  trees,  or  the  rhythmic  ply  of  the 
paddles,  as  the  voyagers  made  their  way  down  the  great 
river,  building  only  a  small  fire  toward  evening  to  cook 
their  meals,  passing  the  nights  in  their  canoes  that  were 
anchored  some  distance  from  shore  in  the  river,  always 
posting  a  sentinel  to  prevent  a  surprise;  eight  days,  in 
which  they  covered  sixty  leagues,  one  hundred  eighty 
miles.  Then  on  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  June,  near  the 
water's  edge,  on  the  west  bank,  they  saw  tracks  of  men. 
Following  the  tracks  two  leagues  up  the  river  (later 
named  Des  Moines),  Marquette  and  Joliet  came  to  a  vil- 
lage of  the  Illinois,  the  Peoria,(7)  and  saw  two  other  vil- 
lages on  a  hill  some  distance  away.  The  Indians  treated 
them  with  great  kindness,  feasting(8)  them  and  showering 
them  with  presents. 

After  visiting  with  the  kindly  Indians,  the  travelers 
embarked  within  sight  of  the  whole  village,  when  the 
friendly  natives  expressed  great  joy  at  their  visit. 

Again  on  the  broad  bosom  of  the  Mississippi,  they 
plied  their  paddles,  while  pleasant  memories  remained 
with  them  of  their  visit  and  the  gracious  reception  they 
had  been  given  by  the  old  man  in  charge  of  the  ceremony, 
whose  complimentary  words  to  the  lonely  strangers  will 
live  for  all  time:  "Frenchmen,  how  beautiful  the  sun 
shines  when  you  come  to  visit  us.  All  our  village  awaits 
you,  and  you  shall  enter  all  our  cabins  in  peace."    The 


(7)  Supposed  to  be  derived  from  the  word  "Pimiteoui,"  meaning  a  place 
where  there  is  an  abundance  of  fat  beasts. 

(8)  This  feast  consisted  of  four  courses,  the  first  being  Indian  meal  boiled 
with  grease,  which  the  master  of  ceremonies  "fed  to  the  guests  in  turn,  like  infants 
from  a  spoon."  The  second,  a  platter  of  fish;  the  master  of  ceremonies  removed 
the  bones  with  his  fingers,  blew  upon  the  morsels  to  cool  them  and  placed  them  in 
the  mouths  of  the  two  Frenchmen.  The  third  course  was  a  large  dog  roasted, 
which  the  guests  declined.     The  fourth  was  fat  buffalo  meat. 


THE  FIRST  WHITE  MEN  113 

chief(9)  (Marquette  calls  him  the  great  captain)  gave 
them  his  son,  a  little  lad  of  ten,  for  a  slave,  saying,  "Here 
is  my  son,  whom  I  give  thee  to  show  thee  my  heart.' ' 
He  also  made  them  a  present  of  a  calumet,  which  seemed 
to  be  the  "god  of  war  and  of  peace,  the  arbiter  of  life 
and  of  death,"  which  the  Indians  valued  higher  than 
they  did  a  slave.  This  calumet  was  the  means  of  saving 
the  travelers'  lives  on  more  than  one  occasion,  as  they 
made  their  way  down  the  Mississippi,  on,  whose  banks 
lived  various  savage  tribes.  Such  was  the  attitude  of 
the  Illinois  toward  the  white  man ;  the  Illinois,  who  held 
such  a  big  place  in  the  loving  heart  of  Marquette,  the 
nation  that  was  forever  being  warred  upon  by  savage 
Iroquois  tribes,  and  a  band  of  which  was  so  cruelly 
destroyed  by  the  Potawatomi  at  Starved  Rock. 

Other  tribes,  more  or  less  friendly,  the  travelers 
passed  and  visited  and  were  feasted  by  them,  each 
tribe  urging  them  to  discontinue  their  journey  and  turn 
back. 

They  saw  the  "Ruined  Castles"  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois,  rocks  given  fan- 
tastic shapes  by  the  elements;  they  gazed  with  sorrow 
on  the  "Piasa,"  a  horrible  painting  of  two  Indian  gods, 
on  the  flat  surface  of  a  high  rock,  north  of  the  present 
site  of  Alton.  This  painting  was  still  visible  in  1848, 
Later  a  large  advertisement  for  some  kind  of  bitters  was 
painted  on  the  face  of  this  rock,  where  the  Piasa  had 
been.     The  rock  has  now  been  quarried  down. 

The  turbulent  waters  of  the  Missouri  (Pekitanoui, 
meaning  muddy)  at  its  confluence  with  the  Mississippi, 


(9)      The    chief    is    the    Hiawatha    of    Longfellow's    immortal    poem,    and    Mar- 
quette's  words  are  paraphrased  by  the  poet. 
8 


114       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

tossed  their  canoes  about  like  dry  leaves  before  a  wind, 
and  carried  logs,  brandies  and  uprooted  trees. 

They  passed  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  the  place  where 
the  roar  of  the  waters  was  so  great  that  the  Indians 
thought  a  demon  lay  in  wait  for  venturesome  travelers. 
The  Ohio  had  been  given  the  very  fitting  name  of  "Beau- 
tiful River"  by  the  Iroquois  Indians- 
Further  on,  the  air  was  suddenly  filled  with  angry 
yells  and  on  all  sides  appeared  savages.  These  were  the 
Michigamea(10)  Indians,  also  a  branch  of  the  Illinois, 
temporarily  estranged  from  them.  Just  as  the  young 
men  were  about  to  pierce  the  travelers  with  their  arrows, 
the  old  men  on  the  bank  beheld  the  calumet  which  Mar- 
quette held  high  in  the  air,  "the  arbiter  of  life  and  of 
death,"  and  checked  the  ardor  of  the  young  men. 

The  voyagers  reached  the  next  village  in  the  early 
part  of  July.  This  was  the  village  of  the  Arkansas 
Indians  (Akemsia,  of  Siouan  stock),  which  was  situated 
near  the  site  where  De  Soto  died  in  1541.  (A  few  years 
after  Marquette  visited  them,  the  village  was  moved  to 
the  west  side  of  the  river.) 

News  of  the  coming  of  the  strangers  had  preceded 
them,  and  they  were  met  by  some  of  the  Akemsia  Indians 
in  a  canoe,  with  calumet  raised  high,  making  friendly 
overtures.  They  were  feasted  all  day  without  respite, 
according  to  the  merciless  Indian  rule  of  hospitality. 
Alas!  at  night,  some  of  their  entertainers  wished  to 
break  their  heads  and  rob  them,  but  the  plan  was  de- 
feated by  the  chief,  who,  after  doing  the  calumet  dance, 
presented   them   with   the   calumet,   to    reassure    them. 


(10)      This  tribe  formerly  dwelt  near  Rohi,   Michigan.      The  lake  and  the  state 
of  Michigan  take  their  names  from  the  tribe. 


THE  FIRST  WHITE  MEN  115 

They  were  informed  that  the  mouth  of  the  great  river 
was  about  seven  hundred  miles  further  south,  or  a  ten 
days'  journey,  and  upon  the  advice  of  these  Indians, 
they  decided  to  turn  back,  as  they  were  now  convinced 
that  the  Mississippi  flowed  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and 
not  into  the  Vermilion  Sea  (Gulf  of  California),  nor 
into  the  Sea  of  Virginia  (Atlantic  Ocean).  Moreover, 
the  travelers  were  in  no  condition  to  resist  the  savage 
nations  further  south,  who  fought  with  European 
weapons;  nor  —  which  was  of  more  importance  —  did 
they  wish  to  lose  the  results  of  their  journey  by  being 
taken  captives  by  the  Spaniards. 

Accordingly,  on  the  seventeenth  of  July,  they  started 
to  retrace  their  course  and  found  that  breasting  the  cur- 
rents of  the  Mississippi  was  a  very  difficult  proceeding. 
By  advice,  they  chose  a  shorter  route  back,  one  by  the 
way  of  the  Illinois  River  (nameless  then).  On  this  river, 
they  first  stopped  at  Peoria  Lake  for  three  days,  when 
Father  Marquette,  at  the  request  of  the  parents,  bap- 
tized a  dying  Indian  child.  They  next  stopped  at  a 
village  of  the  Illinois,  containing  seventy-four  cabins,  at 
what  is  now  Utica,  in  LaSalle  County.  Their  chief,  with 
his  young  men,  escorted  them  up  the  Illinois  and  Des 
Plaines,  across  the  portage  to  the  South  Branch  of  the 
Chicago  Eiver,  and  through  it  to  the  Lake  of  the  Illinois 
(Michigan). 

Never  getting  far  from  land,  but  hugging  the  shore 
of  this  lake  with  their  canoes,  the  travelers,  no  doubt, 
gazed  with  admiration  on  the  lofty  oaks,  tamaracks  and 
other  varieties  of  trees  that  dotted  the  length  of  Evans- 
ton's  holdings  of  today,  the  leaves  in  September  just 
beginning   to    show    the    beautiful    colorings    of    early 


116       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

autumn ;  and,  as  the  men  swung  their  canoes  around  the 
point  where  the  lighthouse  stands,  the  artist  soul  of 
Joliet  and  Marquette's  keen  eye  must  have  delighted 
in  the  beauty  of  that  point,  a  point  so  beautiful  that  it 
gained  the  name  from  sailors  in  a  later  day  of  "Beauty's 
Eyebrow. ' ' 

And  so  they  went  on,  the  first  white  men  that  coasted 
Evanston's  shores  —  Marquette  back  to  the  mission 
house  at  St.  Ignace,  there  to  resume  his  duties,  and 
Joliet  on  to  Montreal,  to  carry  the  report  of  the  journey 
to  the  governor,  only  to  lose  his  papers  on  the  way,  as 
well  as  the  little  Indian  lad  who  had  been  given  him  as 
a  slave  by  a  chief  of  the  first  Illinois  villages  visited,  and 
nearly  losing  his  own  life,  when  his  boat  capsized,  almost 
within  sight  of  his  destination,  after  he  had  escaped  the 
peril  of  Indians  and  passed  safely  forty-two  rapids. 

In  the  autumn  of  1674,  Marquette  received  the 
longed-for  permission  to  establish  a  mission  among  his 
beloved  Illinois  Indians,  and  in  November,  he  with  two 
faithful  companions,  five  canoes  of  Potawatomi,  and  four 
canoes  of  Illinois  —  ten  canoes  in  all — coasted  the  west- 
ern shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  On  account  of  the  storms, 
the  cold  and  the  rough  lake,  the  journey  took  more  than 
a  month.  On  November  5th,  Marquette,  grieved  at  the 
sight  of  the  Illinois  Indians  making  a  feast  to  a  wolf 
skin,  seized  the  opportunity  of  instructing  them  in 
religion. 

On  the  third  of  December  they  were  compelled  to 
"make  a  point,"  on  account  of  floating  masses  of  ice. 
Here  on  "Beauty's  Eyebrow,"  the  only  point  within  a 
day's  journey  of  Chicago,  they  drew  up  their  canoes 
and  prepared  to  withstand  the  cold,  and  camp  overnight. 


THE  FIRST  WHITE  MEN  117 

The  next  day  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Chieago(11) 
River,  and  Marquette  says  of  the  land  bordering  on  the 
lake:  "One  can  land  anywhere,  unless  one  persist  in 
going  where  the  waves  are  high  and  the  wind  is  strong. 
The  land  bordering  on  the  lake  is  of  no  value,  except  on 
the  prairies.,,  Ah,  gentle  Marquette,  come  back  and 
gaze  on  that  land  today!  He  also  says,  "Deer  hunting 
is  very  good,  as  one  goes  away  from  the  Pottawatomies." 
During  their  stay  at  the  entrance  of  the  Chicago  River, 
his  men  killed  three  cattle  (buffalo)  and  four  deer,  one 
of  which  ran  some  distance  with  its  heart  split  in  two. 
Turkeys  were  abundant,  many  coming  around  their 
cabin  because  they  were  almost  dying  of  hunger.  The 
Indians  were  very  eager  for  French  tobacco  and  threw 
bear  skins  at  the  travelers'  feet  in  order  to  receive 
pieces  of  it. 

On  account  of  Marquette's  illness,  brought  on  by 
exposure  on  his  previous  trip,  they  made  camp  and 
stayed  over  winter  two  leagues  up  the  river  (Chicago), 
where  Illinois  Indians  from  a  nearby  encampment  and 
other  Indians  visited  them  frequently,  bringing  them 
game  and  Indian  corn. 

In  the  spring,  they  went  on  to  the  Illinois  village  at 
Kaskaskia,  on  the  Illinois  River,  where  Marquette  was 
"received  like  an  angel  from  Heaven."  Here  he  gath- 
ered around  him  five  hundred  chiefs  and  elders,  and 
fifteen  hundred  young  men,  besides  women  and  children, 
and  instructed  them  in  religion.    He  was  destined  never 


(11)  Wm.  Barry,  first  president  of  the  Chicago  Historical  Society,  says  the 
Indians  applied  the  term  Chicago,  spelled  in  various  ways,  to  Mississippi,  thunder 
or  the  Great  Manitou,  and  the  term  signified  strong,  powerful  or  mighty.  The 
name  was  given  to  great  Indian  chiefs  of  all  tribes.  Chicago  was  named  after 
the  grand  chief  of  the  Illinois  Indians,  in  the  opinion  of  Joseph  Thompson,  editor 
of  the  Illinois  Catholic  History  Review. 


118       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

again  to  see  his  mission  station  at  St.  Ignace,  as  Ms 
death  occurred  in  May,  1675,  in  a  wretched  cabin  of  bark 
on  the  eastern  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  near  a  small 
stream,  Marquette,  which  name  was  afterward  given  to 
a  larger  stream  near  it. 

Claude  Allouez  was  the  next  to  visit  our  shore.  In 
the  winter  of  1676  and  1677,  on  his  way  to  the  Illinois 
mission,  to  take  the  place  of  Marquette,  he  with  his  two 
companions,  suffered  untold  hardships,  traveling  many 
weary  miles  over  snow  and  ice.  He  passed  our  shores 
in  an  ice-boat,  fitted  up  with  sails,  which  was  the  first 
ice  sail-boat  on  Lake  Michigan.  Allouez  had  spent  seven 
years  in  learning  the  Algonquian  language.  During  his 
twenty-four  years  of  service,  he  instructed  100,000 
western  savages  and  baptized  10,000.  Many  times  he 
went  supperless  to  bed  uona  rock,  or  on  the  ground.' ' 
In  one  of  his  travels,  he  froze  his  nose,  and  had  a  faint- 
ing spell.  His  companions  had  gone  on  ahead.  In  his 
cloak,  he  found  a  single  clove,  which  seemed  to  give  him 
strength  enough  to  proceed.  Extremity  of  hunger  often 
forced  the  missionaries  to  eat  a  certain  moss  or  lichen, 
which  had  to  be  scraped  with  shells  or  sharp  stones  from 
the  rocks,  where  it  grew.  It  was  a  shell-shaped  leaf 
covered  with  caterpillars  and  spiders.  When  boiled,  it 
made  an  insipid  soup,  dark,  clammy  and  viscous,  like 
black  starch,  unpalatable.  It  was  cooked  with  whole 
little  fish  and  was  said  to  ward  off  death,  rather  than 
to  impart  life. 

Two  years  later  came  the  great  explorer  and  colon- 
izer, Robert  Cavelier  de  LaSalle,  LaSalle  being  the 
name  of  the  estate  owned  by  the  Caveliers.  He,  with 
Hennepin  and  fourteen  Frenchmen,  traveled  from  Green 


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120       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Bay,  south  on  Green  Bay  Trail  and  along  the  western 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  on  around  the  head  of  the  lake 
to  St.  Joseph,  then  called  Miami,  camping  on  the  banks 
en  route.  They  met  both  friendly  and  hostile  Indians, 
and,  like  Marquette,  found  game  more  abundant  as  they 
approached  the  head  of  the  lake.  Every  night  the  canoes 
were  shouldered  through  the  breakers  and  dragged  up 
the  steep  banks.  The  men  paddled  all  day  with  only  a 
handful  of  Indian  corn  for  food.  Tonti  writes  of  La 
Salle  that  he  was  one  of  the  greatest  men  of  the  age,  a 
man  of  admirable  spirit  and  capable  of  undertaking  all 
kinds  of  adventures. 

He  traveled  thousands  of  miles  through  swamp  and 
forest,  over  snow  and  ice,  and  by  water,  baffled  and  dis- 
appointed, but  pressing  on  with  indomitable  courage  for 
the  furtherment  of  civilization,  as  well  as  in  the  interests 
of  France.  His  " Griffin,' '  called  Floating  Fort  by  the 
Indians,  was  the  first  boat  with  sails  to  ply  the  waters 
of  Lake  Erie,  1679.  It  was  lost,  with  crew  and  cargo  in 
1680,  having  set  sail  for  Niagara  from  Lake  Michigan 
at  the  entrance  of  Green  Bay,  in  September,  1679. 

La  Salle  was  assassinated  by  one  of  his  own  men 
in  1687,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi  River,  240 
miles  from  its  mouth. 

A  year  later,  La  Salle's  faithful  friend  and  lieu- 
tenant, Henry  de  Tonti, (12)  and  two  companions,  without 
food, .sick  and  wounded,  fleeing  for  their  lives  from  the 


(12)  Tonti,  called  the  Iron  Arm  (he  had  lost  his  right  hand  in  war,  and  woie 
an  iron  hand  covered  with  a  glove),  was  faithful  to  LaSalle,  carrying  out  his  plans, 
even  after  the  latter' s  death.  For  twenty  years  he  traveled  back  and  forth  between 
Chicago  and  Mackinac,  passing  here  either  on  land  or  by  water  many  times.  He 
died  September,  1704,  near  Mobile,  Alabama.  He  was  regarded  by  the  Indians  as 
a  superman,  on  account  of  the  great  blow  he  could  give  with  his  iron  hand.  Tonti 
finished  his  signature  with  a  flourish  which  gave  rise  to  the  idea  that  the  last  letter 
was  "y"  instead  of  "i." 


THE  FIRST  WHITE  MEN  121 

Iroquois,  began  their  long  northward  journey  on  foot 
from  Chicago  to  the  Potawatomi  village  at  Green  Bay. 
The  cold  was  intense,  and  they  lived  on  wild  garlic, 
which  they  dug  from  the  frozen  ground.  At  a  deserted 
village  of  the  Potawatomi,  they  found  "hardly  as  much 
as  two  handf uls  of  corn  a  day  and  some  frozen  gourds. ' ' 
Their  shoes  had  given  out,  and,  having  no  leather,  they 
were  compelled  to  make  shoes  from  the  cloak  of  Father 
Gabriel  Ribourde,  who  had  been  murdered  by  the  Kick- 
apoo  Indians.  One  of  the  men  became  ill  from  having 
eaten  a  piece  of  an  Indian  shield  made  of  rawhide.  A 
party  of  Ottawa  Indians  came  along  and  kindly  carried 
them  in  their  canoes  to  a  Potawatomi  village,  where  they 
remained  all  winter,  and  where,  after  thirty-four  days 
of  starvation,  their  "famine  turned  to  abundance." 

The  Northwest,  which  included  this  region,  was 
twice  declared  to  be  under  French  rule.  First,  in  1671, 
St.  Lusson  took  possession  in  the  name  of  the  French 
king,  Louis  XIV,  of  "all  the  territory  around  the  Great 
Lakes,  all  countries,  lakes  and  rivers,  discovered  and 
undiscovered,  bounded  by  northern  and  western  seas, 
including  all  its  length  and  breadth."  Again,  in  1682, 
La  Salle,  at  a  place  a  short  distance  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi  River,  declared  all  territory  "from 
the  Alleghanies  to  the  Rockies  and  from  the  Rio  Grande 
and  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  farthest  springs  of  the  Mis- 
souri and  the  heads  of  streams  flowing  into  Lake  Michi- 
gan" to  be  under  French  sovereignty.  To  this  vast  terri- 
tory he  gave  the  name  of  Louisiana,  honoring  the  French 
king. 

As  we  read  of  the  hardships  and  trials  these  early 
visitors  to  our  shores  endured,  learn  how  they  fought 


122       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

with  cold  and  hunger,  know  how  they  must  have  grieved 
over  the  untimely  deaths  of  loved  companions,  we  feel 
a  deep  and  everlasting  gratitude  toward  those  fearless 
men,  who  blazed  the  trail  for  civilization. 

Ah,  shall  I  selfishly  complain, 
When  neither  cold  nor  wind  nor  rain 
Affects  me,  who  am  housed  and  dry, 
When  they  went  out  "to  do  or  die," 
And  suffered  hunger,  pain  and  cold 
To  bring  the  red  man  to  the  fold, 
And  blazed  the  trail  from  lake  to  sea, 
Where  flies  the  Flag  of  Liberty! 


Chapter  VII 
GROSSE  POINTE 

IN  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  when  none 
but  red  men  roamed  these  grounds,  nearly  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  before  Chicago  had  come  into  exist- 
ence as  a  settlement,  the  name  Grosse  Pointe  —  from  the 
French  meaning  great  point — was  given  by  early 
French  traders  to  the  great  point  or  high  bluff  jutting 
far  out  into  the  lake. 

It  must  have  been  a  welcome  sight,  this  great  bluff, 
that  told  the  weary  travelers,  patiently  plying  their  pad- 
dles, that  they  were  within  a  few  miles  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Chicago  River. 

Another  name,  too,  was  given  this  great  point  by 
later  sailors,  some  of  whom  must  have  been  imbued  with 
a  keen  appreciation  of  beauty  to  have  chosen  a  name  at 
once  so  poetic  and  appropriate  as  "Beauty's  Eyebrow." 
The  very  name  makes  us  see  the  place  as  those  early 
visitors  saw  it  —  a  high  bluff  rising  straight  from  the 
water's  edge,  curved  as  only  the  eyebrow  of  a  beauty 
could  be  curved,  and  from  its  high  prominence  great  oak 
and  white  trunked  birch  trees  rising,  the  whole  making 
a  picture  of  unusual  beauty. 

As  the  years  went  on,  all  the  territory  extending 
north  of  the  site  of  Graceland  cemetery,  indefinitely,  came 
to  be  known  as  Grosse  Pointe,  and  on  the  county  records 
it  is  referred  to  as  Grosse  Pointe  Voting  District,  or 
Precinct. 


124       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

After  the  massacre(1)  at  Fort  Dearborn,  August  15, 
1812,  the  fort  was  abandoned  as  a  military  post,  and 
Antoine  Ouilmette,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Grosse 
Pointe,  a  French  Canadian,  was  the  only  white  man  who 
remained.  He  and  a  half-breed,  Alexander  Robinson 
(later  made  a  Potawatomi  chief),  cultivated  the  garden 
outside  the  fort.  Ouilmette  and  his  family  were  instru- 
mental in  saving  some  of  the  white  people  at  the  time 
of  the  massacre. 

The  nearest  postoffice  to  Chicago,  previous  to  1831, 
was  Little  Fort  —  later  named  Waukegan —  fifty  miles 
distant.  Lincoln  Avenue  in  Chicago  was  called  Little 
Fort  Road.  The  road  from  Chicago  to  Green  Bay  dates 
its  beginning  from  an  act  of  Congress  approved  June 
15,  1832,  for  the  establishment  of  a  road  between  these 
two  points.  This  road  runs  parallel  to  the  west  shore 
of  Lake  Michigan  almost  its  entire  length,  being  at  no 
place  further  away  than  six  miles.  This  was  called  in 
the  beginning  Green  Bay  Indian  Trail,  and  over  this 
trail  had  fled  the  heroic,  but  wounded,  Tonti  and  his 
faithful  followers  from  the  blood-thirsty  Iroquois.  This 
trail  follows  the  line  of  Clark  Street  in  Chicago  (called 
in  the  early  days  of  Chicago  the  Old  Sand  Road)  to  a 
place  north  of  Rose  Hill  cemetery,  at  which  place  the 
trail  divides,  one  part  taking  the  route  over  Ridge  Road 
and  the  other  over  Chicago  Avenue  in  Evanston,  the 
two  joining  about  four  miles  north  at  Ridge  Avenue  at 
a  point  just  north  of  the  site  of  the  Evanston  lighthouse 
(Hurd).  Both  trails  through  Evanston  were  used,  but 
preference  was  probably  given  the  Ridge  Road  Trail. 
Early  pioneers  told  of  the  path  along  Ridge  Road  having 

(1)      Mrs.  Kinzie's  Wau-bun  makes  interesting  reading  about  those  days. 


GROSSE  POINTE  125 

been  worn  down  more  than  a  foot  by  centuries  of  constant 
Indian  travel. 

Over  this  Green  Bay  road  traveled  the  early  mail 
carriers,  in  1816,  between  Chicago  and  Green  Bay  in  the 
winter  seasons.  In  the  summer,  the  mail  was  carried 
by  sailing  vessels.  The  winter  journey  was  hazardous 
on  account  of  the  hardships  of  wilderness  travel.  The 
mail  carrier  had  to  be  a  man  of  strong  constitution  and 
iron  nerve,  one  capable  of  carrying  a  heavy  mail-bag 
and  a  musket  for  hours  at  a  time,  lying  down  beside  his 
camp-fire  when  too  weary  to  go  further,  wrapped  in  his 
blanket  to  snatch  a  few  hours '  sleep,  often  with  wolves 
howling  and  prowling  around  him.  He  had  to  wade 
through  water  and  slush,  pushing  his  way  through 
underbrush,  where  no  pony  could  have  made  its  way; 
sometimes  traveling  when  snow  was  so  deep  that  he 
could  have  made  no  progress  without  his  snowshoes. 
More  than  one  man  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  an 
Indian  while  traveling  this  trail.  These  carriers  were 
the  only  white  men  to  travel  through  this  region  for 
many  years. 

John  H.  Fonda,  who  "ran  the  mail"  between  Fort 
Howard  (located  at  the  mouth  of  the  Fox  River,  Wis- 
consin) and  Fort  Dearborn  in  the  winter  of  1826,  gives 
an  interesting  description  of  his  dress  as  follows :  a 
smoked-tanned  buckskin  hunting  shirt,  trimmed  leggings 
of  the  same  material,  a  wolf  skin  chapeau  with  the 
animal's  tail  still  attached,  and  moccasins  of  elk  hide. 
He  carried  a  heavy  mountaineer's  rifle  with  a  shortened 
barrel  and  a  strap  so  attached  that  the  rifle  could  be 
thrown  over  his  back.  A  powder  horn  hung  by  a  strap 
from  his  shoulder,  while  a  belt  around  his  waist  held  a 


126        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

sheath  knife  and  a  pair  of  pistols,  in  addition  to  a  short 
handled  ax.  Attached  to  his  belt,  also,  was  a  pouch  of 
mink  skin,  in  which  to  carry  rifle  bullets. 

His  companion,  Boiseley,  a  Canadian,  was  simi- 
larly dressed,  but  carried  a  long  gun  and  in  his  belt  a 
large  knife,  pistol  and  hatchet.  In  addition,  like  most 
voyagers,  being  superstitious,  he  had  several  charms  on 
sinew  thongs,  which  were  supposed  to  "possess  mys- 
terious power  to  preserve  the  wearer  from  harm." 

The  round  trip  of  nearly  five  hundred  miles  con- 
sumed a  month,  and  the  men  depended  upon  the  game 
they  shot  along  the  way  to  sustain  life,  always  carrying 
with  them,  however,  a  bag  of  parched  corn,  to  be  used 
in  an  emergency  only. 

Fonda  tells  of  seeing  tracks  of  a  bear  on  an  oak 
tree  and  on  investigation  finding  within  the  tree 's  hollow 
a  store  of  wild  honey,  which  had  evidently  been  the 
attraction  for  animals.  The  men  helped  themselves  to 
a  kettleful  and  during  the  evening  ate  so  much  of  it  that 
Fonda  could  never  again  endure  the  taste  of  honey. 

In  1832,  a  Canadian  half-breed  froze  his  feet  while 
carrying  the  mail  between  Green  Bay  and  Chicago  and 
one  foot  and  a  portion  of  the  other  had  to  be  amputated. 
The  work  was  done  without  the  aid  of  anesthetics  and 
with  rusty  instruments.  This  was  the  first  capital  surgi- 
cal operation  performed  in  Chicago. 

The  United  States  Post  Office  department  usually 
opened  the  way  for  the  stage  coach  lines  of  the  west. 
This  was  a  great  financial  help  to  newly  settled  regions. 
The  first  stage  coach  service  along  Green  Bay  Road 
between  Chicago  and  Milwaukee  was,  according  to  the 
best  records,  about  the  spring  of  1836,  the  proprietor 


128       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

of  the  line  being  one  Lathrop  Johnson,  who  nsed  an  open 
lumber  wagon  —  with  four  horses  to  give  dignity  to  his 
service  —  for  transporting  the  mail  and  "such  passen- 
gers as  might  choose  to  entrust  themselves  to  his  over- 
sight." Later,  Frink  and  Walker  got  the  contract  for 
carrying  the  mail,  and  the  coaches  were  scheduled  to 
run  daily  in  winter  and  tri-weekly  in  summer,  making 
the  journey  in  one  and  one-half  days,  stopping  at 
Kenosha  over  night.  The  stage  coach  made  fewer  trips 
in  summer,  as  the  sailing  vessels  were  preferred  by 
travelers.  A  story  is  related  of  Frink  and  Walker,  which 
shows  the  caliber  of  the  men  and  proves  that  Frink  and 
Walker  would  brook  no  interference  in  their  work.  In 
the  middle  forties  an  Ohio  man  captured  the  contract 
for  carrying  the  mail  from  Chicago  east,  and  great 
rivalry  between  the  two  firms  began.  When  one  firm  cut 
fares,  the  other  made  lower  rates.  Finally  meals  were 
thrown  in  and  traveling  was  practically  free.  While 
this  merry  war  went  on,  the  public  could  travel  more 
cheaply  than  live  at  home.  The  Ohio  man  finally  agreed 
to  buy  the  rival's  property  at  an  extravagant  valuation, 
giving  notes  which  he  was  unable  to  meet.  He  fled  to 
Texas  and  his  stage  line  went  to  ruin.  The  mail  remained 
unearned  for  weeks  and  the  contract  was  finally  given 
to  the  old  firm. 

Grosse  Pointers  pioneers  came  mostly  from  the  east 
and  from  the  nearer  states  of  Ohio  and  Indiana.  Those 
from  New  England  states  were  called  Yankees  and  those 
from  any  other  state  were  called  Hoosiers.  It  was 
claimed  that  as  soon  as  a  wagon  was  sighted  bringing 
in  a  family,  it  could  be  told  whether  the  occupants  were 
Yankees  or  Hoosiers  by  the  make  of  the  wagon,  the  New 


GROSSE  POINTE  129 

Englanders'  wagons  being  compactly  built  and  orderly; 
all  the  others  were  great  lumbering  affairs  with  wide 
rims  to  the  wheels  and  not  so  well  put  together. 

In  March,  1831,  Congress  voted  $25,000  for  a  harbor 
at  Chicago,  and  a  channel  was  cut  through  the  sandbar 
giving  the  river  direct  outlet  to  the  lake.  The  channel, 
completed  in  1834,  was  deep  enough  to  permit  the 
entrance  of  the  heaviest  vessels,  affording  for  the  first 
time  safe  anchorage  at  the  south  end  of  the  lake.  The 
rising  of  the  Des  Plaines  River  in  the  spring  of  1834 
completed  the  work  done  by  the  engineers,  as  its  flood 
waters  rushed  down  the  Chicago  River  with  such  a  force 
as  to  dredge  the  channel  to  its  required  depth. 

Some  of  the  pioneers  came  by  water;  others  pre- 
ferred to  come  by  ox-cart,  a  slow  but  sure,  if  rather 
rough  mode  of  travel. 

According  to  Quaife,  in  the  year  1834,  80,000  western 
emigrants  embarked  from  the  port  of  Buffalo,  and, 
according  to  one  observer,  250  covered  wagons  went 
through  one  village  in  a  single  day.  In  1836  a  line  of 
wagons  almost  continuous  passed  through  the  village  of 
Jonesville,  Michigan,  daily;  and  of  these  emigrants, 
Grosse  Pointe  and  Chicago  received  a  goodly  number. 
Those  traveling  by  water  were  advised  to  start  in  the 
spring.  The  route  was  by  lakes  to  Chicago. (2)  Those 
coming  by  land  were  told  the  time  to  start  was  in  Sep- 
tember, as  autumn  was  the  time  of  fat  cattle  and  an 
abundance  of  fruit.  It  is  said  the  travelers,  when  stop- 
ping for  the  night,  looked  for  an  inn,  where  the  corral 
was  well-trodden  and  a  fat  dog  belonged.     These  were 


(2)      In   1842   the  fare   from  Buffalo   to  Chicago   was  $20.      By   1850  the   fare 
had  been  reduced,  by  competition,  to  $10. 
9 


130       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

sure  signs  of  a  comfortable  stopping  place,  with  plenti- 
ful food.  The  land  route  was  the  Genesee  Turnpike, 
which  had  been  the  old  Iroquois  trail  from  New  York  to 
Buffalo,  being  almost  parallel  to  the  Erie  canal,  then 
running  along  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Erie,  across 
southern  Michigan,  northern  Indiana  and  on  to  Chicago. 
All  roads  finally  converged  into  the  Chicago  road,  the 
great  highway  between  Detroit  and  Chicago,  which  dates 
so  far  back  that  no  one  knows  whether  it  was  originally 
made  by  the  red  men  or  the  buffalo. 

In  1826,  Stephen  J.  Scott,  a  sea-faring  man,  em- 
barked at  Buffalo  on  the  schooner  Shelden,  with  his  wife, 
Hadassah,  their  children  and  their  household  goods.  En 
route,  an  altercation  of  a  financial  nature  arose  between 
him  and  the  captain  of  the  schooner,  whereupon,  being 
within  sight  of  Grosse  Pointe,  the  captain  steered  his 
vessel  toward  shore  and  deposited  Scott,  his  family  and 
his  household  goods  at  this  point.  The  sturdy  Scott, 
Grosse  Pointe 's  first  white  settler,  looked  around  and 
saw  the  Arcadian  grove  of  native  forest  trees,  at  their 
best  in  the  month  of  August,  and  probably  recognized 
the  natural  fertility  of  the  soil  that  furnished  nutriment 
for  such  a  healthy  growth  and  decided  to  remain.  He 
immediately  began  the  erection  of  a  cabin,  with  the  help 
of  his  two  sons.  Their  first  cabin  was  called  a  "post  and 
pole  cabin ",  as  the  frame  work  was  constructed  of  poles 
and  upon  these  were  hung  blankets  and  pieces  of  bark. 
Having  put  up  this  structure  for  temporary  use,  Scott 
and  his  sons  immediately  set  about  building  a  cabin  of 
logs,  in  which  the  pioneer  family  not  only  weathered  the 
following  winter,  but  remained  in  this  rude  habitation 
for  ^ve  successive  winters,  twelve  miles  from  Chicago, 


GROSSE  POINTE  131 

with  swamp  and  forests  between,  and  wolves  their  only 
neighbors.  At  this  time  Chicago  was  still  in  the  fur- 
trading  business,  with  a  population  of  only  about  one 
hundred. 

The  only  white  man  who  roamed  these  parts,  except- 
ing those  traveling  on  Green  Bay  Road,  was  John  Kinzie 
Clark,  nephew  of  John  Kinzie  and  half-brother  of  Archi- 
bald Clybourne,  two  of  Chicago's  pioneers.  Clark,  born 
in  Ohio  and  brought  up  by  the  Indians,  had  acquired 
many  of  the  Indian  ways  and  was  therefore  often  called 
Indian  Clark.  He  owned  a  ranch  at  Northfield  on  the 
North  Branch  of  the  Chicago  River,  where  he  raised 
ponies,  and  B.  F.  Hill  tells  of  having  seen  him  many 
times  traveling  through  Grosse  Pointe  and  the  region 
further  north  with  a  string  of  ponies  tied  together  Indian 
fashion,  or  tandem;  that  is,  the  bridle  of  one  tied  to  the 
tail  of  the  one  preceding,  and  game  —  four  or  five  deer  — 
flung  over  their  backs,  Clark  riding  the  foremost  pony. 

John  Kinzie  Clark  was  a  widower.  His  first  wife 
was  Madeline  Mirandeau,  daughter  of  Jean  Mirandeau 
and  an  Ottawa  Indian  squaw,  the  father  being  a 
sojourner  in  Chicago  in  1811.  Clark  had  obtained  gov- 
ernment land  about  where  the  north  side  rolling  mills 
were  later  situated,  and  there  the  young  couple  set  up 
housekeeping.  After  the  Scotts  came  to  Grosse  Pointe, 
Clark  turned  his  eye  in  their  direction.  His  visits  to 
Scott's  cabin  became  frequent  and  regular  and  it  was 
soon  apparent  that  there  was  a  romance  in  the  air,  Miss 
Parmelia,  Scott's  only  daughter,  being  the  loclestone  that 
drew  him.  This  romance  terminated  in  a  wedding  July 
21,  1829.  In  fact,  it  was  a  double  wedding  on  that  day, 
Miss  Scott's  brother  and  his  bride  being  the  other  couple. 


132       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Clark  and  Parmelia  commenced  housekeeping  in  a  log 
cabin  about  where  the  Wilmette  sewers  empty  into  the 
lake.  Later  they  settled  on  a  ranch  on  the  North  Branch 
of  the  Chicago  Eiver,  where  many  of  their  descendants 
are  still  residing. 

The  family  of  Scott  left  Grosse  Pointe  and  settled 
in  Des  Plaines,  taking  charge  of  a  tavern,  as  the  land 
on  which  their  cabin  stood  was  part  of  the  two  sections 
ceded  by  the  government  to  Antoine  Ouilmette 's  wife 
and  children,  in  1829,  by  Treaty  Prairie  du  Chien.  Mrs. 
Kinzie  tells  of  calling  on  the  Scotts  in  their  new  home 
and  speaks  of  their  having  such  things  as  carpets,  a 
warm  stove,  and  other  luxuries  not  common  in  those 
days.  Scott  lost  his  life  by  drowning  on  a  return  trip 
from  the  gold  fields  in  1856. 

In  1832  came  the  Black  Hawk  war.  During  this  war 
the  Potawatomi  Indians  remained  true  to  the  whites. 

Asiatic  cholera  had  been  introduced  into  Chicago, 
when  General  Scott  brought  several  hundred  soldiers 
from  the  east,  and  most  of  Chicago's  population  had 
immediately  left.  In  a  few  months  both  the  cholera  scare 
and  tlie  Indian  war  were  passed,  and  the  settlers  re- 
turned to  Chicago. 

In  August,  1833,  Chicago  was  incorporated  as  a 
town. 

In  September,  1833,  the  treaty  of  Chicago  was  drawn 
up  and  signed,  providing  for  the  removal  of  the  Indians 
to  their  western  reservation;  the  removal,  however,  did 
not  take  place  until  the  years  1835  and  1836. 

By  the  treaty  of  Prairie  du  Chien  in  1829,  Archange 
Ouilmette,  Potawatomi  wife  of  Antoine  Ouilmette,  was 
ceded  two  sections  of  land  for  herself  and  her  children. 


GROSSE  POINTE  133 

This  land,  afterwards  known  as  the  Ouilmette  Keserva- 
tion,  covered  six  hundred  forty  acres  in  Evanston  and 
most  of  the  village  of  Wilmette.  The  first  cabin  Ouil- 
mette built  was  a  substantial  one  of  hewn  logs  on  the 
shore  of  the  lake,  a  little  north  of  Lake  Avenue  in  Wil- 
mette. Ouilmette 's  cabin  was  in  a  line  with  Orrington 
Avenue  on  the  lake  bluff.  It  was  a  landmark  for  years 
after  it  was  vacated.  Ouilmette  had  a  private  grave- 
yard. A  severe  storm  caused  it  to  dislodge  its  dead, 
"which  came  forth  upon  the  sands  of  the  lake  shore.' 9 
Its  site  is  now  gone,  having  been  long  ago  washed  away 
by  the  lake,  as  was  also  the  site  of  Scott's  cabin.  The 
name,  Wilmette,  originates  from  the  phonetic  spelling 
of  Ouilmette. 

Ouilmette  was  born  near  Montreal,  Canada,  in  1760. 
He  came  to  Chicago  in  the  interests  of  the  American 
Fur  Company  in  1790,  and  is  claimed  by  some  to  have 
been  the  first  white  resident  in  Chicago.  His  was  one 
of  the  four  cabins  that  composed  the  settlement  of 
Chicago  in  1803. 

Ouilmette  was  instrumental  in  saving  at  least  two 
white  persons  during  the  massacre  at  Fort  Dearborn. 
For  four  years  after  the  massacre,  he  was  the  only  white 
resident  in  Chicago.  Later  he  was  in  the  employ  of 
John  Kinzie. 

In  1825,  he  was  one  of  the  principal  taxpayers, 
paying  four  dollars  on  property  valued  at  $400.  Alexan- 
der McDaniel  told  of  having  stopped  at  the  Ouilmette 
cabin  and  partaking  of  a  sumptuous  dinner  prepared  by 
Ouilmette 's  comely  daughters.  He  said  Ouilmette  owned 
cows,  horses,  sheep,  wagons  and  farm  implements  and 
lived  comfortably  in  a  house  fit  for  a  congressman  to 


Home  of  Antoine  Ouilmette  (1828-1844) 

From  water  color  drawing  by  Charles  P.  Westerfield 


Home  of  John  Doyle,  "Where  the  First  North  Shore 
Wedding  Took  Place 


GROSSE  POINTE  135 

live  in.  Mrs.  Galloway,  mother  of  Mrs.  Archibald  Cly- 
bourne,  purchased  wool  from  Ouilmette,  from  which  she 
spun  yarn  and  knitted  stockings  for  the  soldiers  at  Fort 
Dearborn. 

Benjamin  Hill  described  Ouilmette  as  a  very  old 
man  in  1840,  wearing  a  turban  cap,  dressed  much  like 
an  Indian,  and  acting  like  one.  Hill  said  he  could  not  be 
told  from  one.  The  boys  called  him  Owlmette,  because 
they  had  heard  him  called  that.  He  had  a  beautiful  pair 
of  ponies,  which  he  would  hitch  up,  one  to  the  other's 
tail,  and  would  go  galloping  off  home  or  away  hunting, 
returning  from  a  hunt  sometimes  with  a  deer  thrown 
over  the  second  pony's  back.  Ouilmette's  wife  was  just 
like  any  other  Indian  squaw.  The  Ouilmettes  did  not 
live  in  wigwams,  as  the  Indians  did  further  west. 
Antoine  Ouilmette  was  married  to  Archange,  daughter 
of  a  Potawatomi  woman  and  a  Frenchman  named  Cheva- 
lier, in  1796,  on  land  (now  AYilmette)  occupied  by  a  band 
of  Potawatomi  Indians.  This  was  the  first  Xorth  Shore 
wedding  of  which  there  is  any  record. 

As  the  Ouilmette  Reservation  could  not  be  sold 
without  the  consent  of  the  government,  seven  of  the 
Ouilmette  children  joined  in  a  petition  to  the  govern- 
ment. This  petition,  dated  February  22,  1844,  was  sent 
to  the  President  of  the  United  States  and  signed  by  the 
seven  children,  who  were  living  with  the  Potawatomi 
tribe  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  They  asked  that  the  gov- 
ernment either  buy  back  the  Ouilmette  Reservation  at 
$1.25  per  acre,  or  allow  it  to  be  sold,  or  leased.  Henry 
W.  Clarke  was  then  appointed  Special  Agent  to  take 
care  of  this  business,  and  the  land  was  sold  to  real  estate 
speculators,  during  the  years  of  1844  and  1845. 


136       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

All  of  the  Ouilmette  Keservation,  included  in  Evans- 
ton,  640  acres,  was  sold  for  $1,000  —  a  little  over  $1.50 
per  acre.  The  north  section  (in  Wilmette)  was  sold  in 
separate  parcels,  bringing  in  a  larger  sum.  One  brother, 
Joseph,  sold  his  shares  separately. 

After  the  Treaty  of  Chicago  was  concluded,  ceding 
the  land  to  the  white  man  and  providing  for  the  removal 
of  the  Indians,  white  settlers  began  to  straggle  in  and 
put  up  cabins.  A  large  proportion  of  these  were  lake 
captains  who  wished  to  retire.  These  settlers  were 
mostly  from  the  east  and  said  to  be  of  high  character 
and  great  energy,  drawn  to  Grosse  Pointe  by  the  glow- 
ing accounts  of  the  fertility  of  the  soil  and  the  general 
desirableness  of  the  place  for  settlement,  this  informa- 
tion having  been  carried  back  east  by  the  soldiers  who 
had  fought  in  the  Black  Hawk  war. 

In  1834  came  a  settler  who  was  a  different  type  from 
the  settlers  that  came  later  —  one  Abraham  Hathaway 
by  name  and  counterfeiter  by  trade,  a  rough  and  alto- 
gether undesirable  citizen,  who  built  a  log  cabin  on 
ground  for  which  he  had  obtained  no  title,  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  what  is  now  Eaymond  Park.  Here  Hath- 
away kept  a  tavern  and,  like  most  of  the  tavernkeepers 
of  the  day,  had  whiskey  for  sale.  This  cabin  became 
known  as  a  counterfeiters'  den,  and  there  were  even 
worse  rumors  afloat.  It  is  related  that  a  peddler  with 
a  horse  and  wagon  stopped  at  his  cabin  one  day,  and 
while  the  horse  and  wagon  remained,  which  Hathaway 
claimed  he  had  bought,  the  man  was  never  seen  again. 
A  few  days  later  Hathaway  was  seen  filling  up  a  good 
well.  When  asked  his  reason  for  doing  so,  he  replied 
the  water  was  not  good.    Some  of  his  neighbors,  doubt- 


GROSSE  POINTE  137 

ing  this  statement,  became  suspicious  that  the  peddler's 
body  had  been  thrown  in  the  well  and  began  digging, 
but  ceased  shortly,  fearful  of  what  they  should  find,  and 
so  the  mystery  was  never  solved.  A  few  years  later 
Hathaway  left  the  neighborhood  where  he  was  not 
wanted  and  went  to  parts  unknown,  but  it  seems  he 
returned  later  for  a  short  period  of  time. 

When  wreckers  in  1895  were  tearing  down  a  cabin 
built  by  Abraham  Snyder  just  south  of  the  old  Hathaway 
cabin,  they  were  showered  with  what  looked  like  bona- 
fide  silver  dollars.  The  surprised  wreckers  examined 
the  "dollars"  and  found  to  their  disappointment  that 
they  were  imitations  of  Mexican  dollars. 

Along  Green  Bay  Trail  —  later  Kidge  Avenue  — 
most  of  the  pioneers  settled,  although  the  ridge  to  the 
east,  Chicago  Avenue,  also  lured  the  early  settler. 

From  the  Ridge  to  the  lake  was  a  great  swamp, 
broken  only  by  the  low  ridge,  Chicago  Avenue,  and  the 
few  cabins  were  great  distances  apart.  This  "Dismal 
Swamp,"  as  it  was  called,  was  caused  by  the  low  land 
receiving  the  drainage  from  the  ridges,  whose  great 
forest  trees  held  the  moisture  in  the  mass  of  leaves 
around  their  bases,  the  water  seeping  out  onto  the  low 
ground  during  the  whole  of  the  mild  seasons.  The  ridge 
of  Chicago  Avenue  itself  was  not  always  free  from 
water. 

Many  pioneers  traveling  in  their  prairie  schooners 
stopped  in  the  little  town  of  Chicago  no  longer  than  they 
were  compelled  to,  their  opinions  of  the  low,  swampy 
land  concurring  with  that  of  gentle  Marquette  expressed 
more  than  one  hundred  fifty  years  previously,  "the  land 
bordering  on  the  lake  is   of  no  value,   except   on  the 


138       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

prairies."  As  these  pioneers  gathered  their  families 
together  and  cracked  their  whips  at  the  patient  oxen,  to 
travel  on  and  locate  in  the  valley  of  the  Des  Plaines  or 
further  west,  they  laughed  at  those  who  were  foolish 
enough  to  end  their  journey  at  such  an  uninviting  place 
and  termed  it  a  one-horse,  mud  town.  However,  there 
were  those  who,  appreciating  the  value  of  Chicago's 
location,  divined  that  one  day  Chicago  would  become 
the  metropolis  of  the  west.  Among  these  was  Edward 
H.  Mulford. 

To  the  "far  west"  came  Mr.  Mulford,  in  1833.  He 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  major  in  the  war  of  1812,  and 
at  one  time  he  formed  part  of  an  escort  to  General 
LaFayette.  He  had  come  to  Chicago  to  engage  in  the 
jewelry  business  with  his  sons,  who  owned  the  first  store 
of  its  kind  in  Chicago.  In  1836,  he  preempted  two  sec- 
tions of  government  land,  160  acres  in  Grosse  Pointe, 
opposite  the  site  Calvary  cemetery  occupies,  paying 
$1.25  per  acre,  and,  in  order  to  perfect  his  title  to  the 
land,  built  a  rough  board  cabin.  This  cabin,  situated  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Ridge,  was  fourteen  by  sixteen  feet 
in  size,  and  its  boards  were  placed  upright.  Mr.  Mulford 
did  not  occupy  his  cabin  until  a  year  later.  In  October 
of  1836,  he  met  on  the  street  in  Chicago  an  old  war 
acquaintance,  Arunah  Hill,  who  had  served  as  captain 
under  General  Winfield  Scott,  in  the  war  of  1812.  Hill 
had  brought  his  wife  and  seven  children  on  the  Schooner 
Dolphin  from  Cleveland,  Ohio  —  a  trip  that  had  taken 
three  weeks  to  make.  On  arriving  in  Chicago,  he  heard 
of  Mulford 's  unoccupied  cabin  and  began  to  look  about 
for  Major  Mulford,  who  was  delighted  at  again  meeting 
his  old  friend,  and  arrangements  were  soon  made  for 


GROSSE  POINTE  139 

Hill  to  move  into  the  cabin.  Accordingly,  Hill  hired  an 
ox-team  and  wagon,  and,  loading  his  family  and  house- 
hold goods,  started  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day, 
stopping  overnight  at  Britten's,  about  where  Graceland 
cemetery  is  now  located.  He  arrived(3)  the  following  day 
about  noon  at  his  destination,  having  consumed  twenty 
hours  in  making  the  ten  mile  trip,  half  of  which  time 
was  spent,  probably,  in  actual  traveling  —  and  today 
we  speed  over  the  same  route  in  seventeen  minutes. 

In  those  days  it  was  customary  for  the  pioneer  to 
bring  his  own  window  sash  and  doors.  In  this  roughly 
made  cabin,  Hill(4)  fitted  his  two  one-pane  windows  and 
door.  There  was  no  opening  for  a  chimney  and  the 
stove-pipe  had  to  be  passed  through  a  window  opening 
and  changed  from  one  window  to  the  other,  according  to 
the  direction  of  the  wind.  A  member  of  the  family, 
Benjamin  F.  Hill,  then  six  years  old,  years  afterwards 
said  he  remembered  his  mother  often  saying  that  it  was 
the  handiest  house  she  had  ever  known,  as  all  she  had 
to  do  was  to  change  the  pipe  from  one  side  of  the  house 
to  the  other,  through  a  hole,  when  the  wind  veered,  to 
make  the  fire  draw  satisfactorily. 

Where  this  cabin  stood  was,  no  doubt,  a  very 
attractive  place  in  the  day  time,  amidst  the  great  forest 
trees,  with  wild  flowers  abloom  and  small  fruit  in  abun- 
dance all  around,  but,  as  night  came  on,  it  took  on  a  very 
different  aspect.  The  great  trees  almost  shut  out  the 
sight  of  the  very  stars,  and  the  flickering  light  of  the 
candles  in  the  cabin  showed  the  frightened  children 
huddled  together,  as  the  howl  of  wolves  and  the  screech 

(3)  He  came  over  East  Ridge  and  crossed  with  difficulty  to  the  West  Ridge 
(Ridge  Avenue)    through  water. 

(4)  Arunah  Hill  was  a  cooper  by  trade. 


140       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

of  lynx  or  wildcat  pierced  their  ears,  and  to  these  were 
added  the  eerie  hootings  of  the  owls  in  the  nearby  trees. 

In  time,  the  family  grew  accustomed  to  these  sounds 
and  even  lost  its  fear  of  the  prairie  wolves,  which  would 
not  harm  humans,  but  were  destructive  to  small  animals 
and  chickens. 

Deer  were  so  plentiful  in  the  region  at  this  time  that 
one  could  hardly  pass  from  one  ridge  to  the  other  with- 
out starting  up  a  drove,  and  it  is  said  it  was  dangerous 
to  climb  the  Winnetka  hill  further  north,  for  fear  of 
being  charged  by  bucks.  As  most  of  the  guns  possessed 
by  the  pioneers  were  incapable  of  shooting  further  than 
six  or  eight  rods,  few  deer  were  killed,  and  venison  was 
a  real  luxury. 

Late  one  afternoon,  little  Frank  Hill,  at  this  time 
seven  years  old,  started  out  to  find  the  family  cow,  which 
had  wandered  away.  Turning  into  the  Big  Woods  — 
west  of  Eidge  Eoad  —  young  Hill  lost  his  way  and 
tramped  around  from  six  in  the  evening  until  three  the 
next  morning,  when  he  saw  a  cabin  and  knocked  for  ad- 
mission. Mr.  Doyle,  the  owner  of  the  cabin,  which  stood 
within  the  limits  of  what  is  now  Kenilworth,  satisfying 
himself  that  it  was  no  intoxicated  person  or  rough  char- 
acter wanting  to  come  in,  admitted  the  boy,  who  was 
worn  out  from  his  long  hours  of  tramping.  From  the 
extreme  south  end  of  Evanston  to  Kenilworth  would 
have  been  quite  a  tramp  for  a  little  boy,  but  he  had  evi- 
dently covered  many  more  miles  in  wandering  through 
the  woods. 

The  Hill  family  occupied  Mulford's  cabin  a  year, 
and  then  built  a  very  comfortable  log  house  on  what  was 
later  known  as  " Hill's  Eidge,"  where  the  present  village 


GROSSE  POINTE  141 

of  Gross  Point  is  located,  and  moved  into  this  new  home. 
However,  the  various  younger  members  of  the  Hill  house- 
hold later  moved  to  Evanston  and  were  very  useful 
citizens,  holding  honored  places  in  the  community.  Ben- 
jamin Franklin  Hill,  the  six-year-old  member  previously 
mentioned,  lived  many  years  in  Evanston  and  presented 
to  the  Evanston  Historical  Society  a  number  of  valuable 
Indian  relics,  most  of  which  were  found  on  the  Ouilmette 
Eeservation.  He  was  a  man  of  excellent  memory,  with 
a  great  fund  of  information  of  Evanston 's  early  days, 
which  caused  him  to  be  referred  to  as  the  John  Went- 
worth  of  Evanston. 

After  the  Hills  vacated  the  cabin  in  1837,  Major 
Mulford  decided  to  take  up  his  residence  there.  "When 
he  arrived  he  found  that  a  squatter  had  very  comfort- 
ably settled  himself  therein. 

The  township  System  of  Survey  did  not  exist  until 
1850,  twenty  or  more  years  after  the  Treaty  of  Prairie 
du  Chien  had  been  concluded,  which  gave  government 
title  to  the  land  in  this  territory.  The  settlers  obtained 
ownership  of  land  under  a  system  of  patents,  which  in 
due  time  became  valid  titles.  Settlers  taking  possession 
of  land  without  obtaining  the  right  were  called  squatters. 
Abraham  Hathaway  was  a  squatter,  as  was  Major  Mul- 
ford 's  new  tenant.  This  tenant  refused  to  vacate,  think- 
ing probably  to  prove  the  old  maxim,  "  Possession  is 
nine  points  of  the  law/'  but  at  the  sight  of  the  major's 
gun,  whose  muzzle  pointed  straight  at  him.  he  decided 
that  " Might  was  Right"  and  moved  on. 

Major  Mulford,  a  philanthropist  and  a  deacon  in  the 
First  Baptist  church,  which  he  founded,  is  described  as 
a  "gentleman  pioneer,  a  tall  and  handsome  man,   re- 


Desk  Made  and  Used  in  Mulford  's  Tavern  by 
First  Postmaster,  George  M,  Huntoon 


Mulford 's  Tavern 


GROSSE  POINTE  143 

spected  by  all  who  knew  him."  He  began  to  clear  the 
land,  and  planted  a  garden,  selling  the  garden  truck  in 
Chicago,  where  he  found  a  ready  market.  Wood,  too, 
he  carted  to  the  city  and  sold.  As  other  settlers  came 
into  the  neighborhood,  his  home  became  a  center  for 
social  gatherings,  and  he  gave  it  the  name  of  Kidgeville, 
which  he  changed  after  a  few  years  to  the  poetic  one  of 
Oakton. 

Across  the  road  from  his  cabin  on  Eidge  Avenue, 
Major  Mulford  built  a  log  house,  quite  a  roomy  affair, 
it  being  thirty  feet  wide  by  forty  feet  long.  Into  this  he 
moved  his  family  and  kept  a  tavern,  which  was  known  as 
the  "Ten-Mile  House,"  being  ten  miles  from  the  Chicago 
courthouse.  Timbers  from  the  original  tavern  were  re- 
employed in  the  building  that  forms  part  of  St.  Francis 
Hospital. 

One  of  the  first  frame  houses  in  Grosse  Pointe  was 
built  a  few  years  later  by  0.  F.  Gibbs  for  Major  Mulford. 

In  regard  to  Mulford 's  tavern,  it  was  said  his  accom- 
modations were  exceedingly  good,  but  his  rates  were 
high.  He  never  allowed  wine  to  be  served  at  his  table, 
not  even  on  holidays,  Christmas  or  New  Year. 

Mulford  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  Justice 
of  the  Peace  appointed,  and  he  held  the  first  court  in 
Cook  County  in  his  thirty  by  forty  log  house.  Sometimes 
the  house  was  not  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  jury 
and  others  present.  On  these  occasions  court  would  be 
held  in  the  open  air. 

He  was  a  man  greatly  given  to  prophecies,  and  one 
of  these  was  that  Chicago  would  become  the  Queen  City 
of  the  West.  Another  was  that  a  railroad  would  be  built 
on  the  ridge,  on  which  Calvary  station  now  stands.    He 


144       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

would  take  visitors  to  the  back  door  of  his  home  and, 
pointing  toward  the  low  ridge  to  the  east,  exclaim,  "  Some 
clay,  my  friends,  you  will  see  the  Iron  Horse  speeding 
along  its  path  of  steel  right  out  there."  As  the  cabins 
were  few  and  far  between,  this  seemed  most  unlikely,  but 
he  proved  to  be  a  true  prophet,  and  in  less  than  twenty 
years  the  "Iron  Horse, "  a  brave,  little,  ten-ton  engine, 
with  its  one  lone  coach,  puffed  and  snorted  its  way  over 
a  single  track  railroad,  through  the  growing  town  of 
Evanston.  He  not  only  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  his 
prophecies  fulfilled,  but  saw  many  other  wonderful  im- 
provements, as  he  lived  to  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-six, 
passing  away  in  1876.  Mulford  Street  is  named  in  his 
honor  and  Oakton  Street  and  Oakton  School  no  doubt 
derive  their  names  from  the  name  of  his  home  place. 

The  four-horse  stage  coach  ran  through  his  land 
twice  a  week  between  Chicago  and  Milwaukee  and 
changed  horses  at  his  place,  the  Ten-Mile  House.  The 
next  stop  was  on  the  Ridge  at  the  place  where  Noyes 
Street  now  is.  Between  these  two  stops  the  settlers  in 
general  took  up  land  and  built  their  homes  and  began 
farming. 

Chicago's  charter  of  incorporation  as  a  city  was 
issued  in  1837.  Chicago  had  a  population  of  4,179,  and 
was  a  town  of  shanties  and  frame  buildings,  with  wooden 
side-walks  and  muddy  streets  along  the  water  front.  Fort 
Dearborn  was  a  cluster  of  hewn  log  buildings,  covered 
with  clapboards,  surrounded  by  palisades.  The  struc- 
ture stood  until  1852. 

Philip  Eogers  came  to  Grosse  Pointe  in  1836  and 
settled  on  the  southern  part  of  Sections  31  and  32,  now 
Rogers  Park.    He  built  a  log  house  and  made  a  living  by 


Daniel  Pope  Cook,  After  Whom  Cook  County 
Was  Named 


10 


146       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

burning  charcoal,  which  he  carried  to  Chicago  by  ox-team 
and  sold. 

In  1837  Sam  Eohrer  settled  at  Kose  Hill.  It  is  said 
he  had  considerable  live  stock.  Deciding  to  go  further 
north,  he  burned  his  shanty,  in  which  he  had  lived,  in 
accordance  with  a  superstition,  to  insure  good  luck.  Ar- 
riving in  Glencoe,(5)  he  saw  lake  on  one  side,  the  Skokie 
on  the  other,  bluffs  and  gullies  before  him,  so  he  turned 
back  and  located  in  Evanston,  on  southeast  quarter  sec- 
tion 25,  moving  in  1847  to  Niles. 

The  County  of  Cook,  within  whose  boundaries 
Grosse  Pointe,  later  Evanston,  was  situated,  was  named 
in  honor  of  Daniel  Pope  Cook,  a  man  who  had  never 
stepped  foot  within  its  territory  and  who  died  four  years 
before  the  county's  organization,  which  took  place  March 
8,  1831;  but  Daniel  Pope  Cook  was  held  in  such  high 
esteem  by  his  fellow  countrymen,  that  his  name  was 
chosen  from  among  a  great  number  proposed. 

Daniel  Cook  was  born  in  Kentucky  in  1795  and  died 
in  1827,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years.  He  had  received  a 
good  education  in  his  native  state,  and  on  his  arrival  in 
Illinois  in  1815  began  the  practice  of  law  at  Kaskaskia. 
In  a  short  time,  he  became  editor  and  part  owner  of  the 
"Intelligencer,"  the  only  paper  at  that  time  in  the  Terri- 
tory. In  1816,  he  was  appointed  auditor  of  public  ac- 
counts. In  1817,  he  was  sent  by  President  Monroe  as 
bearer  of  dispatches  to  John  Quincy  Adams,  then  United 
States  Minister  to  England,  and  was  elected  circuit 
judge  on  his  return.  He  was  elected  to  Congress  two 
years  after  Illinois  was  admitted  to  the  Union,  and  was 


(5)      Glencoe    was    called    by    the    Germans    Ewige    Qual    (Everlasting    Punish- 
ment). 


GROSSE  POINTE  147 

re-elected  several  times.  Although  he  was  born  and 
reared  in  a  southern  state,  he  was  strong  in  his  opposi- 
tion to  the  attempt  to  make  Illinois  a  slave  state. 

He  married  the  daughter  of  Governor  Edwards. 
His  son  was  colonel  of  the  first  regiment  organized  in 
this  state,  after  the  first  call  for  troops  by  President 
Lincoln.  This  was  the  Seventh  Eegiment  of  Illinois 
Volunteers. 

Cook  County  embraced  originally  Du  Page,  Will, 
Lake  and  McHenry  Counties.  In  1926,  of  the  six  cities 
and  sixty-two  villages  in  Cook  County,  Evanston  stood 
second  in  size. 

Nathaniel  Pope,  uncle  of  Daniel  Pope  Cook,  wrote 
the  amendment  to  the  bill  admitting  Illinois  into  the 
Union.  When  the  "Enabling  Act,"  as  this  bill  was 
called,  was  first  introduced,  the  north  boundary  line  pro- 
posed for  Illinois  was  to  be  from  a  point  at  the  extreme 
southern  end  of  the  lake  and  run  due  west.  Nathaniel 
Pope,  a  delegate  in  congress  from  Illinois  Territory, 
after  long  consideration,  foresaw  the  advantages  to  be 
gained  to  the  state  by  having  a  coast  line  on  the  lake, 
connecting  it  in  this  way  with  points  east,  and  he  moved 
to  amend  the  "Enabling  Act,"  this  amendment  to  place 
the  northern  boundary  line  further  north.  The  bill  was 
passed  with  "Pope's  Amendment,"  and  the  northern 
boundary  line  was  moved  61  miles  north  of  the  proposed 
boundary  line  named  in  the  bill.  This  amendment  also 
added  about  9,000  square  miles  to  the  state,  or  nearly 
one-sixth  of  its  territory,  and  —  Evanstonians  may  write 
Illinois  after  their  city's  name,  instead  of  Wisconsin. 


148       EVANSTON-- ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


"LOOK  FORWARD' ' 

Back  silently  the  years  I  traveled, 

Back  seven  decades — yea — and  more, 
To  stop  before  a  lonely  cabin 

And  lightly  step  within  its  door ; 
Then  trod  I  softly  'mongst  the  shadows, 

Away  from  firelight's  fitful  glow, 
And  sat  me  down,  full  eager,  curious, 

A  pioneer  to  watch  and  know. 

Loud  rang  the  room  with  happy  laughter, 
Of  sturdy  children  playing  'round ; 

The  housewife  busy,  crooning  softly, 
Each  moment  to  her  duty  bound. 

Long  the  shadows  grew  and  lengthened ; 

Low  sank  the  sun — 'twas  eventide; 
The  word  of  God — mine  host  was  reading — 

Came  low  to  me,  ' '  with  me  abide. ' ' 
Words  they  were  that  gave  him  courage, 

Helped  him  to  "look  forward"  too, 
And  on  his  face  I  saw  plain-written, 

"  I  '11  not  despair. ' '    My  wonder  grew. 

I  lightly  touched  his  arm  and  whispered, 
"Despair  ye  not  when  clouds  hang  low ; 

When  cold  winds  blast  and  hot  suns  wither, 
And  ye  reap  naught,  tho '  much  ye  sow  ? ' : 

"Daughter,"  ah,  his  eye  was  kindly, 

But  his  words  rang  like  a  dare, 
"Know  ye,  we  are  sons  of  fathers, 

Who  knew  it  not,  the  word  despair.''' 


Chapter  VIII 
PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE 

THE  settlers  came  mostly  straight  from  comfortable 
homes  in  the  old  cities,  villages  and  towns,  and,  with- 
out going  through  any  intermediate  stage,  took  up  their 
abode  in  comfortless  cabins,  with  the  primeval  forest 
not  a  hundred  feet  away,  the  women  uncomplainingly 
taking  up  the  pioneer  work,  sharing  the  perils  and  priva- 
tions with  the  husbands  and  fathers.  If  the  American 
women  of  the  east  merited  credit  for  their  housekeeping 
skill,  how  much  more  is  credit  due  to  the  women  of  the 
west,  real  heroines,  who  attempted  similar  duties  under 
so  many  disadvantages  and  amid  such  great  depriva- 
tions ! 

In  their  trip  to  the  unknown  region,  the  pioneers 
brought  mostly  such  articles  as  were  absolutely  neces- 
sary. A  valued  piece  of  furniture  from  the  old  home,  or 
dear  reminders  of  other  days  sometimes  reached  the  end 
of  the  journey,  but  more  often  these  would  be  found  to 
be  "excess  baggage' '  and  were  left  along  the  route.  The 
doors  and  window  sash  had  to  be  transported  to  the 
new  home,  as  in  some  localities  these  were  not  easily 
procured.  Trunks  and  carpet  bags,  with  lock  and  key, 
carried  the  family's  wardrobe.  Nearly  every  family 
possessed  a  "hair  trunk,"  a  trunk  covered  with  cow- 
hide. Bonnet  boxes  were  made  of  light-weight  wood  and 
had  lock  and  key.  A  linen-lined  silk  traveling  bag  car- 
ried toilet  articles  for  the  fastidious  ones. 


150       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Indispensable  to  the  new  home  were  the  woolen 
coverlets  (sometimes  called  coverlids)  of  bright  colors, 
which  had  been  woven  by  the  women.  The  cotton  filled 
comforters  came  into  use  about  1842,  and  directions 
given  at  that  time  for  making  them  call  for  a  covering 
three  yards  square  and  four  pounds  of  cotton  bats. 

The  kitchen  furnishings  that  were  deemed  necessary 
were  usually  as  follows :  a  nest  of  iron  pots ;  long  iron 
fork;  an  iron  hook;  a  small  gridiron  with  grooved  bars 
and  a  trench  to  catch  the  grease ;  a  Dutch  oven  or  bake- 
pan;  two  skillets;  a  spider;  ladles;  skimmer;  iron 
skewers ;  two  tea-kettles ;  two  brass  kettles  for  soap 
boiling;  portable  furnace  of  iron  or  clay  for  summer 
washing,  ironing  and  preserving;  box  and  mill  for  spice, 
pepper  and  coffee ;  iron  cleaver  and  board ;  apple-parer ; 
sugar  nippers ;  a  dozen  iron  spoons ;  six  or  eight  flat- 
irons;  a  ruffle-iron;  crimping  iron;  lamp-filler;  broad 
bottomed  candle  sticks ;  scoops ;  egg-boiler ;  a  beetle  for 
mashing  potatoes;  coffee  stick;  mush  stick;  a  meat 
beetle  to  pound  tough  steak;  bosom  board;  skirt  board; 
large  ironing  board;  linen  pudding  or  dumpling  bags; 
roller  towels;  a  jelly  bag  (spelled  gelly). 

The  keen  eye  of  the  early  settler  saw  and  appreci- 
ated the  great  possibilities  of  the  new  locality  for  suc- 
cessful farming.  The  thick  growth  of  timber  along  the 
Ridge  proved  the  soil  to  be  of  great  producing  capabil- 
ities, with  strength  and  durability;  a  black  sandy  loam 
favorable  to  farming,  easily  and  with  little  expense 
brought  under  cultivation.  Long  before,  the  Indian  had 
taught  the  white  man  how  to  girdle  the  trees  that  culti- 
vation might  be  carried  on  before  the  forest  trees  were 
felled,  the  ring  of  bark  burned  around  the  tree  prevent- 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  151 

ing  the  sap  rising,  thus  killing  the  tree  before  the  spring 
season  had  fairly  begun. 

The  light,  sandy  soil  of  the  oak  openings  was  also 
highly  prized  for  gardening  purposes,  as  it  was  not  easily 
affected  by  dry  weather,  and  seldom  suffered  from  ex- 
cessive rains. 

A  great  inducement,  also,  to  the  settlers  was  the  fact 
that  the  government  offered  the  land  to  homesteaders 
at  $1.25  per  acre,  on  condition  that  they  make  certain 
improvements  and  cultivate  a  certain  portion  of  it  for 
a  period  of  three  years.  The  time  extended  to  a  United 
States  soldier  who  had  seen  service  was  shortened  to 
fourteen  months. 

Under  the  United  States  system  of  surveying,  lands 
are  laid  out  in  townships  six  miles  square.  Each  town- 
ship is  divided  into  36  sections,  each  one  mile  square,  640 
acres.  Sections  are  divided  into  quarter  sections  of  160 
acres.  Certain  parallels  of  latitude  are  used  as  base 
lines ;  meridians  of  longitude  are  used  as  principal  mer- 
idians. Townships  are  described  as  Nos.  1,  2  or  3  north 
or  south  of  base  lines,  in  Range  1,  2,  3,  etc.,  east  or  west 
of  principal  meridian.  Every  24  miles  Guide  Parallels 
and  Guide  Meridians  are  surveyed.  Across  Guide  Par- 
allels jogs  allow  for  the  curvature  of  the  earth. 

All  territory  from  the  site  of  Graceland  Cemetery 
extending  north  indefinitely  and  west  as  far  as  the  North 
Branch  of  the  Chicago  river  was  called  Grosse  Pointe. 

As  swamp  covered  most  of  the  region  from  the 
Kiclge  or  Green  Bay  Road  to  the  lake,  with  the  exception 
of  the  low  ridge  along  what  is  now  Chicago  Avenue  — 
which,  too,  was  at  times  under  water  —  it  is  easy  to  see 
why  the  pioneers  began  to  settle  along  the  Ridge. 


/ 


m 


i 


Simon  V.  Kline 
Benjamin  F.  Hill 


...■■'' 


Ozro  Crain 
/  Samuel  Reed 


y 


Mrs.  Judith  Burroughs 
Major  E.  H.  Mulford 
Mrs.  Mary  Foster 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  153 

Benjamin  Hill  says  there  were  white  and  black  ash 
trees  in  the  early  days  where  the  business  district  grew 
later.  The  trees  were  noticeably  larger  on  the  Ridge. 
There  were  dark  and  white  oaks  on  both  the  east  and 
west  ridges.  Here  and  there  were  hickory  trees.  In  the 
swamps  were  elm,,  ash  and  basswood,  but  not  many  of 
the  latter.  Further  north  there  were  hard  maple  trees. 
Maple  orchards  were  called  sugar  bush.  Hill's  Ridge 
was  on  the  site  of  the  Catholic  Church,  in  the  present 
Gross  Point,  which  is  the  only  community  that  retained 
the  original  name  of  Gross  Point.(1)  Hill's  Ridge  was 
named  after  B.  F.  HilPs  father,  Arunah  Hill.  Below 
this  place  was  a  splendid  sugar  orchard  of  1000  maple 
trees  owned  by  Arunah  Hill.  He  had  paid  five  hundred 
dollars  for  one  hundred  sixty  acres  of  land. 

During  the  decade  between  1837  and  1847  came  the 
Carneys,  the  Pratts,  the  Huntoons,  Benjamin  Emmerson,. 
the  Reeds,  Alexander  McDaniel,  the  Burroughs,  the 
Gaffields,  the  Fosters,  the  Crains  and  the  Murphys,  each 
family  settling  down  and  taking  a  part  in  the  making 
of  the  new  settlement  in  true  pioneer  fashion. 

The  Carneys,  James  and  John  and  John's  wife, 
Mary  Lindsay,  came  from  County  Mayo,  Ireland,  in 
1837,  coming  to  the  Far  West  and  settling  in  the  village 
twelve  miles  north  of  Chicago  on  a  tract  of  land  bounded 
by  what  is  now  Church  and  Dempster  streets,  and  As- 
bury  and  Chicago  avenues.  This  was  bought  by  James 
Carney  in  1840  from  the  government  — 160  acres  at  $1.25 
per  acre,  making  a  total  of  $200.  They  were  typical 
pioneers,  held  in  high  esteem  by  their  neighbors  through 
their  long  lives,  John  Carney  reaching  the  age  of  ninety- 

(1)      The  final   e's  were   dropped   from   the  name   in    1846. 


154       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

seven  and  his  wife  ninety-two.  Their  son  John  served 
twenty-three  years  as  head  of  the  Police  Department  and 
was  often  referred  to  as  "the  Police  force  of  Evanston." 
His  brother  William  was  also  on  the  police  force. 

Benjamin  Emmerson  came  from  his  New  England 
home,  first  settling  in  Chicago.  He  ran  the  first  milk 
business  in  Chicago  and  was  evidently  successful  in  this 
work,  as  he  was  able  to  buy  land  in  Grosse  Pointe  in  a 
few  years,  1839,  and  start  farming.  Emerson  Street 
in  the  north  end  of  town  perpetuates  his  memory. (2) 

The  same  year  Paul  Pratt  and  his  wife,  Caroline 
Adams  Pratt,  took  up  140  acres  of  land  with  the  bound- 
ary of  what  is  now  Church  and  Simpson  streets  and 
Maple  and  Asbury  avenues,  and  became  neighbors  of 
Emmerson.  Paul  Pratt's  father  was  one  of  the  historical 
Minute  Men,  and  Mrs.  Pratt  was  descended  from  the 
famous  Adams  family  that  furnished  two  presidents. 
The  Pratts  built  a  cabin  on  Green  Bay  Koad,  near  what 
is  now  Emerson  street.  Pratt  hewed  timber  and  floated 
logs,  made  into  rafts,  down  the  lake  to  Chicago.  Some 
of  these  logs  were  used  in  making  the  first  government 
pier  at  Chicago.  His  brother,  George,  lost  his  life  on  one 
of  the  rafts.  Paul  Pratt's  daughter,  Susan,  born  1840, 
was  the  first  white  child  born  in  Grosse  Pointe.  She  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-four  in  Wilmette  in  1924.  Pratt 
Court  commemorates  the  family  of  Pratt. 

Edward  Murphy  settled  about  one  mile  south-east 
of  the  Mulfords,  at  Indian  Boundary  line  and  the  lake. 
His  son,  John,  was  the  first  white  male  child  born  in 
Grosse  Pointe,  1841.  Edward  Murphy  was  born  in  1805, 
a  native  of  Kenmore,  County  Kerry,  Ireland.    He  was  a 


(2)      The  street   is   spelled  with  one  m. 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  155 

teacher  and  mathematician  by  profession,  and  was  Gov- 
ernment teacher  in  London,  Canada,  before  coming  to 
the  United  States.  He  tanght  in  the  public  schools  of 
Chicago  and  was  generally  interested  in  educational 
affairs.  He  was  elected  Deputy  Sheriff,  and  later  elected 
Coroner  of  Cook  County,  being  re-elected  at  the  expira- 
tion of  his  term  of  office.  He  was  the  first  Supervisor  of 
Ridgeville,  being  elected  in  1850. 

George  Washington  Huntoon  came  to  Grosse  Pointe 
by  boat  from  Cleveland,  Ohio,  to  visit  in  1839.  He  was 
captivated  by  the  place,  and  immediately  decided  to 
locate  in  it.  Accordingly  he  arranged  for  the  building 
of  a  house  on  Eidge  Avenue  between  Crain  and  Mulford 
streets  (middle  section  19),  while  he  went  back  to  Cleve- 
land for  his  family.  The  return  trip  to  Grosse  Pointe 
was  made  in  an  ox-cart,  with  his  family  and  household 
goods,  a  slow,  tedious  and  tiresome  trip,  but  preferred 
by  many  as  being  safer  than  by  water.  When  the  Hun- 
toon family  arrived,  the  frame  house  on  Ridge  Avenue, 
corner  of  Main  street,  which  had  the  distinction  of  being 
the  first  frame  house  in  Grosse  Pointe,  was  not  yet  com- 
pleted, as  it  lacked  doors  and  windows.  Nothing  daunted, 
the  family  moved  in,  used  sheets  and  blankets  in  lieu  of 
doors  and  windows,  and  settled  down  in  regular  pioneer 
fashion.  Removing  the  blanket  from  one  of  the  windows 
the  following  morning,  the  family  beheld  a  deer  in  front 
of  the  house  calmly  chewing  the  bark  from  a  maple  tree. 

Alexander  McDaniel,(3)  a  Scotchman,  arrived  in  1842, 


(3)  MeDaniel  first  settled  on  a  claim  of  160  acres  of  government  land  in 
Winnetka,  in  1837,  on  which  he  built  a  house  and  kept  bachelor's  hall  for  five 
years.  In  1853,  he  bought  land  and  built  a  log  cabin  in  Wilmette  on  the  lake  shore 
at  Maple  Avenue  and  Sheridan  Road.  He  laid  out  the  Village  of  Wilmette,  in 
connection  with  H.  A.  Dingee  of  New  York.  MeDaniel  was  the  first  postmaster  of 
Wilmette,    serving  from  1870   to   1889. 


156        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

and  began  the  usual  business  of  farming  and  wood  cut- 
ting. Ten  years  later,  1850,  he  married  Emmiline  Hun- 
toon.  Squire  Mulford  performed  the  ceremony,  the 
second  in  his  capacity  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  he 
ever  afterward  called  her,  "My  Emmy." 

The  McDaniel  family  purchased  a  cow  from  "Old 
Rose,"  a  hermit  who  lived  in  a  dugout,  where  the  main 
vault  in  Eose  Hill  Cemetery  is  now  situated.  No  one 
seemed  to  know  much  about  him  or  his  antecedents.  This 
cow  was  christened  Eose,  in  memory  of  Old  Eose.  (It 
might  be  mentioned  here  that  the  locality  and  the  first 
railroad  station  at  Eose  Hill  were  called  Chittenden.) 
Some  time  later  a  meeting  was  held,  and  Mr.  McDaniel 
told  the  story  of  Old  Eose  the  hermit  living  on,  perhaps 
it  would  be  better  to  say  in  the  ground,  since  he  lived  in 
a  dugout,  and  the  name  of  Chittenden  was  dropped  and 
the  name  Eose  Hill  bestowed  upon  the  place. 

McDaniel  Street  was  named  in  honor  of  Alexander 
McDaniel. 

The  same  year,  1840,  which  seemed  to  be  an  aus- 
picious year  for  new  arrivals,  Charles  Crain,  a  lad  of 
eighteen,  native  of  Stockton,  New  York,  came  from  Ham- 
ilton, Steuben  County,  Indiana,  to  Dutchman's  Point, now 
Niles,  and  worked  a  year  for  his  cousin,  John  Miller, 
whose  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Elon  Crain,  Charles 
Crain's  uncle.  He  had  very  little  capital,  but  he  had 
what  was  far  better  —  a  brave  heart,  a  strong  body,  and 
willing  hands.  He  immediately  went  to  work  chopping 
wood  at  sixteen  dollars  per  month  and  his  board.  In  the 
fall  of  1841  with  his  savings  of  seventy  dollars  he  went 
back  to  Indiana,  but  returned  two  years  later  with  his 
brother  Ozro. 


Charles  Grain 


Mrs.  Sarah  Burroughs 
Crain 


Ozro  Grain  Home.    Log  House  Clapboard-Covered 


158        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Another  important  person  in  the  building  of  Grosse 
Pointe  was  Samuel  Reed,  an  Englishman,  who  came  in 
1840.  He  was  public  spirited,  and  seeing  the  needs  of 
the  little  village,  sought  to  lessen  them.  Frances  Willard, 
in  her  Classic  Town  calls  him  "the  almost  immemorial 
pathfinder  or  roadmaster  of  this  region."  He  took  up 
Government  land  on  the  Ridge,  near  what  is  now  Main 
Street,  and  built  a  log  house.  His  cabin  was  surrounded 
by  water  nearly  the  whole  year  around  and  he  often 
waded  in  water  up  to  his  knees  looking  for  his  cattle. 
Indeed,  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  the  cows  to  get 
mired  and  have  to  be  pulled  out  by  ropes  or  pried  out  by 
rails. 

Mr.  Reed's  young  sons  used  an  old-fashioned  baby 
cradle  for  a  boat  in  which  to  go  duck  hunting.  Mrs.  Reed 
caught  prairie  chickens  in  a  trap,  sprung  by  a  rope  from 
her  kitchen  window,  catching  at  one  time  twenty-one. 
This  trap  was  a  greater  convenience  than  the  telephone 
and  delivery  wagon  of  today.  However,  there  were 
things  to  offset  this  good  fortune.  A  wolf  one  day  got 
into  her  barnyard  and  carried  away  a  squealing  porker, 
which  was  probably  worth  more  than  the  twenty-one 
prairie  chickens. 

The  Reed  log  cabin  was  a  typical  one  of  the  pioneer 
days  —  loose  board  floor  and  roughly  chinked  crevices, 
through  which  the  wind  crept  to  make  the  housewife 
hasten  to  throw  yet  another  log  on  the  fire.  Winter  morn- 
ings, Mrs.  Reed,  after  climbing  the  ladder  to  the  loft 
where  the  children  slept,  often  brushed  the  snow  from 
their  faces  before  waking  them.  An  apple  tree  which 
this  thrifty  housewife  planted  bore  its  "thirty  bushel 
quota' '  of  choice  fruit  for  over  forty  years. 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  159 

The  Burroughs  family, (4)  connected  later  with  the 
Crains  by  marriage,  was  drawn  to  Grosse  Pointe  through 
a  chain  of  interesting  circumstances.  The  very  interest- 
ing and  absorbing  tale  goes  as  follows :  Captain  Syl- 
vester Beckwith,  married  to  Miss  Lucinda  Burroughs, 
could  proudly  boast  that  he  had  sailed  the  lake  for  four- 
teen years  and  had  never  had  an  accident.  In  the  fall  of 
1841,  while  commanding  the  Brig  Winslow,  which  carried 
lumber  from  Chicago  to  Milwaukee,  he  went  ashore  north 
of  Winnetka,  where  lumber  had  been  unloaded,  to  make 
final  arrangements  in  regard  to  the  cargo.  In  his  ab- 
sence, his  first  mate,  Nelson  Naper,(5)  for  reasons  known 
only  to  himself,  set  sail  without  the  captain.  Captain 
Beckwith,  discovering  the  ship  gone,  hired  a  team  and 
started  for  Chicago.  Meanwhile  a  severe  storm  had 
driven  the  ship  ashore,  opposite  Hubbard's  Hill.  On 
reaching  Hubbard's  Hill,  the  Captain  drove  his  team  to 
the  tavern  of  a  Mrs.  Patterson  and  stopped  for  the  night. 
Here,  to  his  surprise,  he  found  his  run-away  crew,  minus 
the  first  mate  Naper,  safe  and  sound,  holding  high  carni- 
val and  merrily  drinking  the  health  of  the  absent  captain. 
The  captain,  finding  the  ship  undamaged,  again  started 
for  Chicago,  stopping  for  dinner  at  the  home  of  George 
W.  Huntoon  on  Green  Bay  Koad ;  and  so  pleased  was  he 
with  the  surrounding  country  that  he  decided  to  give  up 
sea-faring  life  and  settle  down  as  a  farmer.  He  located 
on  the  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago  Eiver  at  a  place 
called  Dutchman's  point,  later  called  Niles.  The  follow- 
ing spring,  1842,  his  wife  and  her  brother,  Alonzo  Bur- 
roughs, and  sister,  Sarah,  came  from  Ashtabula,  Ohio. 

(4)  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sylvester  Beckwith,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  "Warner  Burroughs, 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alonzo  Burroughs  all  lived  to  celebrate  their  fiftieth  wedding 
anniversaries. 

(5)  Naperville  was  named  after  Nelson  Naper. 


160       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Mrs.  Beckwith  and  her  sister,  Sarah,  painted  such  a 
charming  picture  of  the  new  country  in  their  letters  to 
their  parents  that  their  parents  decided  to  come.  They 
came  the  following  year,  1843,  with  three  younger  chil- 
dren, from  Ashtabula,  by  ox-team  and  cart,  taking  three 
weeks  to  make  the  trip. 

The  elder  Burroughs,  David  Norton  Burroughs,  and 
family  came  first  to  Dutchman's  Point,  then  later  to 
Grosse  Pointe  where  Mr.  Burroughs  rented  a  cabin  on 
Green  Bay  Eoad  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Ridge  Avenue 
and  Greenleaf  Street,  near  the  present  Crain  Street. 
This  cabin  was  occupied  at  the  time  by  Eli  Gaffield,  whose 
house  on  land  adjoining  at  the  south  was  not  quite  com- 
pleted. 

The  Burroughs  family  moved  in  with  the  Gaf- 
fields  and  the  two  families  spent  the  winter  together. 
There  were  fourteen  in  the  cabin  that  winter,  and  a  merry 
time  they  had.  The  cabin  had  three  large  rooms  down- 
stairs, but  only  one  large  unpartitioned  room  above, 
so  improvised  bed-rooms  were  made  by  stretching 
clotheslines,  with  bed  blankets  thrown  over  them  for 
partitions. 

The  year  1843  saw  Charles  Crain  returning.  This 
time  he  had  induced  his  brother  Ozro  to  accompany  him. 
The  two  brothers  started  from  Hamilton,  Steubin 
County,  Indiana,  on  foot  along  a  wagon  trail  and  reached 
Dutchman's  Point,  south  of  Glenview,  after  four  weary 
weeks  of  travel.  Charles  Crain  soon  came  to  Grosse 
Pointe  where  he  learned  the  cooperage  business  of  "Wil- 
liam Foster.  Ozro  hired  out  to  Arunah  Hill  to  learn  the 
cooperage  trade.  After  he  returned  from  California  in 
1850  he  took  up  farming. 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTS  161 

There  was  no  "Micawber"  among  these  early  set- 
tlers, "waiting  for  something  to  turn  up. ' '  Samuel  Keed, 
ever  with  an  eye  to  possibilities  for  betterment,  did  not 
believe  in  the  region  suffering  a  want  that  could  be  sup- 
plied, and  decided  that  a  corduroy  road  was  needed  to 
connect  the  east  and  the  west  ridges  across  the  "dismal 
swamp."  Accordingly,  he,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
Crain  brothers,  George  W.  Huntoon,  and  other  early 
settlers,  built  the  first  road  over  the  low  ground  at  Rose 
Hill  which  crossed  diagonally  southeast  from  the  west 
ridge  to  the  east  ridge.  These  determined  pathfinders 
hauled  logs,  mostly  whole  trees  roughly  trimmed,  and 
made  a  "corduroy  road"  of  them  laid  closely  together. 
At  times  even  this  log-way  was  under  water.  The  next 
crossing  was  four  miles  north  of  this,  where  the  two  old 
Indian  trails  joined  on  the  Ouilmette  Reservation,  north 
of  the  site  of  Evanston  lighthouse. 

In  the  early  days,  those  living  on  the  two  ridges  in 
Grosse  Pointe  might  as  well  have  been  living  miles  apart 
instead  of  only  a  few  hundred  feet,  for  the  swamp  be- 
tween made  it  impossible  to  go  from  one  ridge  to  the 
other  at  certain  times  of  the  year.  The  people  received 
their  mail  at  Dutchman's  Point  or  at  Chicago.  Signals 
were  exchanged  between  the  ridges,  when  a  settler  in- 
tended going  to  Chicago  for  mail  or  supplies.  This  man 
usually  went  on  horseback.  On  receiving  such  a  signal, 
some  one  from  the  other  ridge  would  mount  a  horse  and 
meet  the  other  man  at  Rose  Hill,  exchange  the  news  of 
the  day,  give  such  orders  for  supplies  as  his  ridge  people 
needed,  and  return;  while  the  other  proceeded  to  Chi- 
cago to  fulfill  the  orders  and  get  the  mail  for  both  ridges, 
to  be  met  again  on  his  return  trip  by  a  man  at  Rose 


162        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Hill,  who  received  the  mail  and  supplies  for  the  other 
ridge. 

Green  Bay  Road,  in  the  early  days  was,  at  best,  a 
difficult  road  to  travel.  It  was  made  by  cutting  out  trees 
to  the  width  of  two  rods,  and  driving  down  stakes.  The 
route  led  over  many  unfordable  streams  and  over  these, 
rough  puncheon  and  logs  were  laid  to  complete  the  road. 


Home  of  Eli  Gaffield,  the  Best  Pigeon-Fisher 
in  Town 


Eli  Gaffield 's  home,  which  was  under  construction 
at  the  time  the  Burroughs  moved  to  Grosse  Pointe,  was 
on  land  which  lay  west  of  Asbury  Avenue  and  north  of 
Greenleaf  Street,  where  wild  pigeons  were  numerous. 
Grosse  Pointe  lay  in  what  might  be  called  the  pigeon 
belt,(6)  or  in  the  line  of  the  passenger  or  wild  pigeon's 

(6)  The  passenger  or  wild  pigeons,  so  numerous  over  this  region  in  the 
spring  and  fall,  and  extinct  since  1878,  migrated  not  in  hundreds,  but  in  thousands, 
as  far  south  as  South  America  and  as  far  north  as  the  Arctic  Circle,  and  South 
Evanston  lay  along,  or  more  probably  at  the  edge  of  their  route  of  flight.  John 
James  Audubon  says  in  his  works  that  their  favorite  nesting  places  were  in  great 
forests,  where  there  was  not  much  underbrush.     Along  the  Green  River  in  Kentucky 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE 


163 


migration.    Pigeon  fishing  was  a  popular  sport,  and  Mr. 
Gaffield  was  called  the  best  " pigeon  fisher"  in  town,  and 


Courtesy  of  American  Field 

Passenger  Pigeon 

Natural   size   15   inches.      Color   slate  blue   and   black,   with 

iridescent  neck  feathers 


one  nesting  place  was  forty  miles  long  and  more  than  three  miles  wide,  and  here 
people  would  gather  from  over  a  hundred  miles  distant,  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the 
pigeons,  having  driven  their  hogs  to  fatten  on  the  birds.  Audubon  arrived  one 
year  two  hours  before  sunset,  the  day  the  pigeons  were  expected  to  put  in  appear- 
ance, and  long  before  a  bird  was  in  sight,  the  sun  was  entirely  obscured.  Finally 
they  were  sighted  and  there  was  great  excitement.  To  quote  him:  "As  the  birds 
arrived  and  passed  over  me,  I  felt  a  current  of  air  that  surprised  me.  Thousands 
of  birds  were  knocked  down  by  the  pole  men  (men  standing  on  high  ground  switch- 
ing back  and  forth  long  poles  stuck  in  the  ground,  having  sharp  knives  attached). 
The  birds  began  to  pour  in,  arriving  by  the  thousands.  They  alighted  everywhere, 
one  above  another  until  solid  masses  as  large  as  hogsheads  were  formed.  Here  and 
there  the  perches  gave  way  with  a  crash  and  falling  to  the  ground  destroyed 
hundreds  of  birds  beneath,  forcing  down  the  dense  groups  with  which  every  stick 
was  loaded.     It  was  a  scene  of  uproar  and  confusion." 

Alexander  Wilson,  another  ornithologist,  says  the  noise  was  so  great  as  to 
terrify  the  horses,  and  it  was  difficult  for  one  person  to  hear  another  speak  unless 
he  bawled  in  his  ear.  The  extinction  of  these  pigeons  may  have  been  due  to  the 
wholesale  slaughter  that  went  on.  Wilson,  in  speaking  of  their  flight,  says:  "They 
were  flying  with  great  steadfastness,  close  together,  several  strata  deep  and  as  far 
on  right  and  left  as  eye  could  see.  This  was  at  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and 
at  four  o'clock  the  living  torrent  seemed  as  numerous  and  extensive  as  ever." 
It  is  estimated  they  flew  about  a  mile  a  minute. 


164       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

it  was  claimed  he  never  lost  a  bird.  He  used  a  net,  three 
sides  of  which  were  fastened  to  the  ground  leaving  space 
enough  for  the  birds  to  run  under.  Grains  of  corn  thrown 
under  the  net  would  attract  the  pigeons,  and  in  two  min- 
utes the  ground  would  be  covered  with  them.  A  quick 
pull  of  the  rope  attached  to  the  fourth  side  would  im- 
prison all  under  the  net.  T.  C.  Goudie  of  north  Evanston 
could  supply  food  for  all  of  his  town  (six  families)  with 
one  shot  from  his  gun. 

In  1843  John  O'Leary  and  Edward  Davlin  located 
on  the  North  East  Quarter  of  Section  30,  now  the  site  of 
Calvary. 

From  1844  to  1847  David  Hood,  John  Beck,  Peter 
Rinn,  Peter  Bletch,  Henry  Fortmann,  Jacob  Klein,  Frank 
Schmidtr  and  Peter  Monroe,  settled  along  the  Kidge. 
Other  settlers  were  John  Tillman,  Henry  Eeinberg  and 
Michael  Breit. 

The  land  west  of  the  Ridge  and  as  far  south  as  Rose 
Hill  was  heavily  timbered.  This  land  was  called  the  Big 
Woods.  Further  south  of  Rose  Hill  was  prairie  and  the 
road  running  through  there  was  often  called  Prairie 
Road.  The  logs  cut  from  the  trees  of  the  Big  Woods 
had  to  be  made  ready  for  hauling  when  the  ground  be- 
came frozen,  as  it  was  impossible  to  haul  the  logs  over 
the  marshy  ground  during  other  seasons.  These  logs 
were  made  into  rafts,  hauled  to  the  lake,  and  navigated 
down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  river  by  a  tow  line 
fastened  to  a  yoke  of  oxen.  Oak  wood  sold  for  seventy- 
five  cents  a  cord. 

After  the  land  was  cleared  of  the  oak  trees,  the 
stumps  were  put  in  piles  ten  or  fifteen  feet  high,  covered 
with  light  stuff,  hay  or  straw,  then  a  top  covering  of  dirt, 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  165 

with  holes  through  to  make  a  draft ;  fire  was  then  set  to 
the  stumps.  A  pile  would  be  two  or  three  weeks  burning. 
This  was  quite  an  industry  in  itself,  as  money  was  made 
from  the  selling  of  charcoal  obtained  in  this  way.  The 
charcoal  sold  for  five  cents  a  bushel. 

A  man  could  pay  his  road  tax  by  pulling  up  stumps 
at  twenty-five  cents  per  stump,  be  the  stump  large  or 
small.  One  wonders  whether  any  man  sacrificed  his  early 
morning's  sleep  that  he  might  pull  out  his  allotted  num- 
ber of  stumps  among  the  small  ones.  This  wxas  true  of 
other  localities. 

Wheat  was  scattered  by  hand  and  dragged  in  by 
harrow  or  bushy  tree.  The  passenger  pigeon  would  fol- 
low and  pick  up  the  grain  as  fast  as  deposited,  and  the 
men  had  to  resort  to  shot  guns  to  save  their  seed.  They 
had  boys  go  along  to  pick  up  and  carry  the  pigeons  away 
as  fast  as  they  were  shot.  The  following  lines  were 
familiar,  when  the  passenger  pigeons  were  plentiful: 

When  I  can  shoot  my  rifle  clear 

To  pigeons  in  the  sky, 
I'll  bid  farewell  to  pork  and  beans 

And  live  on  pigeon  pie. 

The  Ozro  Crain  homestead,  a  log  house  covered  with 
clap-boards,  was  built  by  Isaac  Burroughs  in  1845,  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Ridge  and  a  little  north  of  Greenleaf 
Street,  where  Crain  owned  eight  acres  between  Maple 
and  Asbury  Avenues.  The  Crain  brothers  now  carried 
on  a  cooperage  business  of  their  own,  manufacturing 
barrels  and  casks  in  a  log  house  on  the  Ridge,  selling 
them  in  Chicago  to  Gage  and  Haynes,  flour  dealers,  where 


166       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

they  found  a  steady  market.  Ozro  Crain  later  built  on 
the  northeast  corner  of  Eidge  Avenue  and  Crain  Street. 

The  settlement  was  still  sparsely  settled,  when  it  was 
decided  that  the  children  must  no  longer  be  without  a 
place  of  learning,  the  true  index  to  civilization,  for  many 
of  the  families  were  "from  the  rugged  hills  and  rocky 
mountains  of  New  England,  where  the  chief  agricultural 
productions  were  schoolhouses  and  men,"  and  from  the 
nearer  states  of  Ohio  and  Indiana,  which  already  had 
several  decades  of  good  schools  to  their  credit. 

About  1842,  the  log  house  used  as  the  first  school 
house  in  the  south  end  of  town  was  built.  It  was  situated 
on  the  west  side  of  Green  Bay  Eoad  or  Eidge  Avenue, 
where  Greenleaf  Street  crosses,  on  a  lot  which  Henry 
Clarke  deeded  to  the  township  for  school  and  cemetery 
purposes,  or,  as  he  specified  very  quaintly,  "for  the  quick 
and  the  dead."  The  school  house  was  on  the  corner,  and 
the  burial  ground  to  the  west  and  north  of  it,  between 
the  present  Greenleaf  and  Lee  Streets.  The  sale  of  the 
burial  lots  paid  for  the  ground,  $150.  Greenleaf  was 
then  a  thirty-three  foot  lane,  and  later  thirty-three  feet 
more  were  taken  from  the  cemetery  to  widen  the  street. 

Pupils  along  Chicago  Avenue  and  Hinman  Avenue 
reached  the  school  by  horseback  or  by  means  of  boats 
or  rafts  during  the  wet  season. 

The  little  log  house  served  not  only  as  a  schoolhouse, 
but  also  as  a  meeting-house,  where  the  circuit  rider,  as 
the  visiting  preacher  was  called,  preached  to  the  faithful 
ones,  who  faced  storm  and  cold,  or  the  summer's  hottest 
rays  to  go  to  meeting.  One  time  the  services  were  en- 
livened and  probably  nearly  broken  up,  when  an  Indian 
stalked  boldly  into  the  church  in  his  dignified  Indian 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  167 

manner,  followed  by  two  softly  stepping  squaws,  and 
stretching  himself  on  the  floor  before  the  open  fireplace, 
calmly  went  to  sleep. 

At  what  better  place  could  the  young  folk  —  yes,  and 
the  older  ones,  too  —  meet,  than  under  the  roof  of  this 
lowly  log  schoolhouse  ?  It  was  here  they  met  of  winter 
evenings  for  spelling  bees  and  singing  school,  when  the 
very  rafters  rang  with  the  sound  of  their  lusty,,  young 
voices,  and  swains  entered  into  friendly  rivalry  for  the 
good  graces  of  the  most  popular  belle. 

Mainly  for  the  convenience  of  the  children  from  the 
east  ridge  (Chicago  Avenue)  to  get  to  school,  a  narrow 
bridge  was  built  at  Calvary  on  crotched  sticks,  from  one 
ridge  to  the  other,  and  over  this  precarious  footpath 
went  not  only  the  children,  but  the  older  residents  from 
both  ridges,  thankful  that  they  did  not  have  to  pull  their 
feet,  one  after  the  other,  through  the  mud  of  the  Dismal 
Swamp. 

William  Foster,  a  native  of  Ireland,  built  a  log  house 
on  Eidge  Avenue,  near  Grant  Street,  in  1846.  He  was  a 
true  son  of  Erin,  with  his  genial  disposition  and  love  of 
fun.  Uncle  Billy  Foster,  as  he  was  fondly  called,  was 
the  life  of  many  occasions,  especially  " raisings,' '  as  the 
building  of  cabins  was  called,  which  were  turned  into 
times  of  merry-making.  The  settler  wishing  to  put  up  a 
cabin  got  together  all  the  material  needed  —  poles,  logs, 
etc.  —  at  a  chosen  site,  and  then  would  request  the  assist- 
ance of  his  neighbors,  who  gladly  acceded  to  his  request, 
having  memories  of  other  raisings,  when  Uncle  Billy 
cracked  his  jokes  and  gales  of  laughter  followed  his 
witticisms,  and  all  the  while  Uncle  Billy  was.  surrepti- 
tiously keeping  an  eye  on  each  worker,  to  see  that  the 


168       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

work  did  not  lag,  in  consequence  of  which  Uncle  Billy 
was  very  much  in  demand  at  every  raising.  There  was 
the  keeper  of  the  demijohn,  who  did  no  other  work  than 
hand  over  the  demijohn  to  the  workers,  that  each  one 
might  take  a  long  pull  after  every  fourth  log  was  put  in 
place,  a  custom  very  much  in  practice  in  those  days. 

No  less  in  importance  to  the  building  of  the  cabin 
was  the  digging  of  the  well,  but  before  the  digging  could 
be  done,  an  expert  must  be  secured  to  locate  the  place 
where  the  water  could  be  found.  The  expert  would  walk 
over  the  ground  with  a  forked  branch  from  a  peach  tree 
held  loosely  in  his  hands,  the  prongs  pointing  upward. 
When  he  came  over  the  place  where  water  was  nearest 
the  surface  the  prongs  of  the  branch  would  suddenly 
turn  downward,  and  point  to  the  ground.  Here  the  settler 
would  dig  his  well. 

Though  evening  clothes,  waxed  floors  and  many 
pieced  orchestras  were  missing,  their  lack  was  no  draw- 
back to  the  good  times.  Major  Mulford's  home  was  the 
scene  of  many  a  social  gathering,  and  the  Pratts  threw 
open  their  doors  with  true  pioneer  hospitality,  while  the 
Burroughs '  cabin  held  many  a  merry-making  party,  when 
youth  and  maid  tripped  the  light  fantastic  toe  to  the 
merry  strains  of  Dad  Shippy's  fiddle,  which  was  some- 
times accompanied  by  discordant  howls  of  the  wolves 
outside;  and  older  members  of  the  party  "do-si-doed" 
and  "balanced  to  their  partners"  or  joined  in  the  old- 
time  waltz,  "round  and  round  and  round,"  that  would 
make  the  present  day  jazz  dancers  dizzy. 

Many  a  romance  had  its  birth  in  these  gatherings. 
Sarah  Burroughs,  quick  of  wit  and  ready  of  tongue,  just 
blooming  into  womanhood,  attracted  the  notice  of  young 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  169 

Charles  Crain,  and  in  1846  he  and  his  bride,  the  afore- 
said Sarah,  began  housekeeping  in  the  cabin  her  father 
had  rented  when  he  arrived  at  Grosse  Pointe.  Charles 
Crain,  by  assiduous  work  and  honest  labor,  had  pros- 
pered, and  now  the  cabin  at  the  present  Crain  Street  and 
Green  Bay  Eoad,  with  forty-four  acres  of  land  around 
it,  belonged  to  him,  a  typical  pioneer,  upright,  generous 
and  kindly,  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him.  Ozro  Crain 
had  already  claimed  for  his  bride,  Olivia  Hill,  a  daughter 
of  one  of  the  first  settlers,  Arunah  Hill,  and  had  settled 
on  the  west  side  of  the  ridge. 

The  first  post  office  was  established  in  1846  in  Major 
Mulford's  home,  George  M.  Huntoon,  son  of  George 
Washington  Huntoon,  being  appointed  postmaster  and 
serving  for  two  and  a  half  years.  The  post  office,  during 
the  early  years,  was  usually  kept  at  the  home  of  the  post- 
master, and  thus  several  houses  on  Green  Bay  Eoad  held 
the  post  office  at  one  time  or  another.  At  this  time  the 
final  e's  were  dropped  from  Grosse  Pointe,  making  the 
name  Gross  Point.  The  region  hitherto  known  as  Grosse 
Pointe,  recorded  as  Grosse  Pointe  Voting  Precinct,  had 
its  first  post  office  established  in  1846,  which  was  given 
the  name  of  Gross  Point  Post  Office.  The  Evanston  His- 
torical Society  has  in  its  possession  a  case  with  eighteen 
pigeon  holes,  which  was  made  and  used  by  Postmaster 
Huntoon.  Each  patron  was  allotted  a  box  or  pigeon  hole, 
which  was  numbered,  in  which  was  placed  his  mail,  await- 
ing his  call. 

Isaac  Burroughs,  son  of  David  Norton  Burroughs, 
was  a  carpenter  and  joiner,  building  many  of  the  houses 
on  Green  Bay  Eoad.  In  1848  he  built  a  house  for  his 
brother  Warner,  who  in  1849  moved  in,  and  gave  the 


g"% 

**       S 

|: 

i  all 

. 

■" 

Buck-Eye  Hotel 


Snyder  Farm -House 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  171 

place  the  name  of  Buck-Eye  Hotel,  as  several  families 
as  well  as  his  own  claimed  Ohio  for  their  native  state. 
Isaac  Burroughs  built  a  house  for  himself  across  the 
street  from  the  hotel.  The  original  crescent-shaped  sign, 
which  hung  from  the  old  tavern,  may  be  seen  at  the 
Evanston  Historical  rooms.  Buck-Eye  Tavern  or  Hotel 
was  situated  on  the  east  side  of  Ridge  Avenue,  a  well 
built  frame  building,  two  stories  high,  the  rooms  of 
which,  though  small,  were  well  planned.  Later  its  num- 
ber on  the  Avenue  was  2241.  The  building  was  moved 
to  1204  Noyes  Street  in  1916  and  transformed  into  a 
modern  house,  and  the  occupant  said  the  timber  was  still 
in  such  fine  condition  that  the  bark  was  too  hard  to  allow 
a  nail  to  be  driven  through  it. 

The  post  office  was  moved  to  Buck-Eye  Tavern  in 
1848,  and  David  Burroughs  was  appointed  postmaster. 
He  brought  mail  once  a  week  from  Chicago  on  horseback. 
In  1855,  after  the  railroad  went  through,  there  were  so 
many  newcomers  that  mail  service  was  increased  to  twice 
a  week. 

The  next  tavern  to  the  north  was  Wigglesworth 
Tavern,  at  the  southern  limits  of  Ouilmette's  Reserva- 
tion. Coming  from  the  south,  the  stage  coach  stopped 
at  Brittons,  where  Graceland  cemetery  now  is ;  the  Seven 
Mile  House,  Baer's  Tavern,  at  Rose  Hill;  the  Ten  Mile 
House  of  Mulf ord,  where  St.  Francis  Hospital  stands ; 
the  Buck-Eye  Tavern,  belonging  to  Warner  Burroughs ; 
then  further  north  at  Wigglesworth 's  Tavern.  These 
early  taverns  consisted  usually  of  four  rooms  —  one  large 
room,  which  was  the  bar-room  and  dining  room,  two  bed- 
rooms for  guests,  and  one  bedroom  for  mine  host  and  his 
family.      If    there    were    more    guests    than    the    two 


172       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

bedrooms  could  accommodate,  the  men  were  expected  to 
sleep  on  the  floor  in  the  bar-room.  Buck-Eye  Tavern  was 
frequented  by  a  rough  set  —  sailors,  wood-choppers, 
hunters  and  Indians  —  all  of  whom  were  good  customers 
for  the  "wet  goods,"  great  libations  of  red-eye  and 
tangle  foot  decoctions  which  the  tavern  carried. 

Up  to  this  time  there  was  no  particular  business  dis- 
trict, but  the  houses  between  the  taverns  carried  a  stock 
of  groceries  needed  by  the  settlers  in  the  neighborhood, 
as  well  as  a  supply  of  "wet  goods,"  for  which  there  was 
a  lively  demand  by  those  traveling  to  and  from  the  north 
along  Ridge  Eoad.  In  reading  of  the  sale  of ' '  wet  goods ' ' 
one  must  remember  this  place  was  Gross  Point  and  not 
yet  Evanston.  In  the  winter,  freezing  to  death  was  the 
common  end  to  many  who  imbibed  too  freely  and  died 
from  exposure  while  intoxicated. 

Charles  Wilson,  Warner  Burroughs'  brother-in-law, 
an  actor  from  Chicago,  kept  a  notion  and  grocery  store 
in  a  small  building  south  of  the  Buck-Eye  Hotel,  but 
business  was  probably  not  very  brisk  for  he  stayed  but 
a  short  time,  selling  out  to  Warner  Burroughs  and  re- 
turning to  the  theater.  Later,  the  building  he  occupied 
was  moved  to  the  rear  of  the  Buck-Eye  Hotel. 

Many  Indians,  growing  homesick  for  their  old  home, 
returned  and  wandered  around,  and  holding  their  blank- 
ets over  their  heads  to  exclude  the  light,  they  would  peer 
into  the  windows  of  the  cabins,  much  to  the  discomfort 
of  the  housewife  and  terror  of  the  children ;  or  they  would 
stalk  into  the  cabins,  without  the  ceremony  of  knocking, 
and  squat  before  the  fire  place,  waiting  for  refreshments 
to  be  given  them.  They  were  peaceable  and  would  go 
away  without  trouble  as  soon  as  they  received  food.  They 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  173 

were  fond  of  chickens,  and  many  young  fries  gladdened 
the  stomachs  of  the  red  men,  as  the  housewife  was  very 
careful  to  refuse  them  nothing  they  desired,  even  though 
her  family  went  without  on  some  occasions. 

The  flare  from  the  burning  logs  in  the  open  fire  place 
usually  furnished  the  necessary  light  in  the  evening.  If 
that  light  were  not  sufficient,  oil  or  grease  was  put  in  a 
dish  or  saucer,  with  a  strip  of  cloth  leading  into  it,  and 
the  lighted  free  end  drew  up  the  oil  and  gave  out  a  yel- 
lowish, flickering  light. 

Candles  were  used  and  candle  making  was  one  of  the 
various  tasks  of  the  housewife.  The  best  candles  were 
made  in  molds.  The  candle  wicks  were  first  soaked  in 
lime  water  and  salt  petre,  dried,  and  hung  in  the  mold; 
and  over  them  was  poured  suet  or  mutton  tallow,  which 
had  been  previously  melted  with  white  wax,  alum  and 
camphor.  After  the  candles  had  been  left  overnight 
to  harden,  the  molds  were  slightly  heated  to  loosen 
the  candles,  which  were  then  taken  out  and  packed  in 
a  box. 

Dipped  candles  were  made  by  throwing  the  wicks 
over  rods  and  twisting  them,  the  wicks  having  first  been 
dipped  in  lime  water  and  vinegar  and  dried.  The  tallow, 
with  the  proper  proportion  of  wax  and  alum,  was  melted 
in  a  kettle  and  kept  flush  with  the  top  of  the  kettle  by  the 
addition  of  hot  water  as  fast  as  the  mixture  was  used. 
The  sticks  were  dipped  again  and  again,  until  the  proper 
thickness  of  the  candle  was  reached. 

Cheap  lights  were  made  by  dipping  rushes  in  tallow. 
The  children  were  told  they  might  stay  up  until  the  candle 
burned  to  a  certain  mark.  Candle  screens,  as  well  as  fire 
screens,  were  used. 


174       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Matches  had  been  invented  not  a  great  while  before 
this  period  and  were  still  very  much  of  a  luxury,  and  very 
sparingly  used,  folded  paper  or  rolled  tapers  being  used 
to  economize  on  them. 

There  were  no  starch  factories  in  those  days  and  the 
women  manufactured  their  own  starch  by  soaking  un- 
ground  wheat  in  soft  water  for  several  days,  then  rub- 
bing off  the  husks  with  the  hands,  allowing  the  soft  part 
to  settle,  and  changing  the  water  every  day.  If  the  water 
was  clear,  after  the  mixture  was  stirred  and  the  wheat 
allowed  to  settle,  it  could  be  poured  off  and  the  starch 
left  in  the  bottom  of  the  kettle,  dried,  and  put  away  for 
use. 

Calicoes  were  dipped  in  beef's  gall  to  keep  the  colors 
bright,  and  were  stiffened  with  glue,  instead  of  starch. 
Beef's  gall  was  used  also  in  washing  of  woolens. 

Though  the  pioneer  woman  might  have  help,  these 
homely  duties  were  taken  care  of  under  her  eye. 

The  wells  and  cisterns  were  in  the  yards.  The 
cisterns  were  large  receptacles,  like  immense  wooden 
tubs.  They  received  their  supply  of  water  through  pipes 
leading  from  troughs  on  the  roofs,  which  caught  the  rain 
water  falling  on  the  house. 

The  pumps  were  carefully  wrapped  in  blankets  dur- 
ing freezing  weather,  and  the  handles  lifted.  To  start 
the  water  flowing,  it  was  sometimes  necessary  to  prime 
the  pump  —  pour  water  in  the  top  of  it  and  work  the 
pump-handle. 

Shoes  were  rubbed  with  India  rubber  melted  in  oil, 
to  render  them  waterproof,  or  rubbed  with  grease. 

The  making  of  lye  (written  ley),  soft  and  white  soap, 
were  also  duties  of  the  housewife. 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  175 

With  all  her  numerous  tasks  the  housewife  found 
time  to  cultivate  flowers,  and  the  yards,  without  excep- 
tion, were  gay  with  such  flowers  as  sweet  alyssum,  candy- 
tuft, ice-plant,  verbena,  heart 's-ease  (pansy),  love-in-a- 
mist,  primrose,  phlox,  coxcomb,  larkspur,-  aster,  petunia, 
marigold,  zinnia,  morning  glory,  columbine,  bleeding- 
heart,  sweet  william,  prince's  feather,  fox-glove,  mignon- 
ette, pinks  and  the  much  prized  tuberose.  The  pioneers 
were  early  risers,  and  the  sun  would  not  be  very  high  in 
the  heavens,  before  the  housewife  donned  her  sun-bonnet, 
collected  her  garden  implements  and  started  for  her 
flower  garden.  Four  cents  would  buy  a  bag  of  flower 
seeds  sufficient  to  supply  many  families. (7) 

Kitchen  walls,  cellars  and  fences  were  frequently 
whitewashed. 

Study  gowns  were  used  by  men  of  studious  habits 
in  the  evening.  These  were  long  straight  robes,  similar 
to  the  lounging  robes  of  today. 

Blocks  of  wood  and  carpet-covered  bricks  were  used 
behind  doors  to  preserve  the  wall  from  being  injured. 
Stools  and  ottomans  were  covered  with  carpet  to  match 
that  of  the  room,  in  which  they  were  used.  Catherine  E. 
Beecher  (Henry  Ward  Beecher's  sister),  in  her  domestic 
economy  book,  gives  this  advice :  ' i  Sweep  the  carpets  as 
seldom  as  possible,  as  it  wears  them  out.  Shaking  is  good 
economy.' ' 

Mattresses  of  hair  were  expensive  and  those  made  of 
husks  dried  and  drawn  into  shreds  were  commonly  used ; 
others  were  made  of  alternate  layers  of  cotton  and  moss. 

Feather-beds  were  much  in  favor,  but  were  laid  aside 
during  the  mild  weather   and   straw  ticks   substituted. 

(7)      The  half   cent  was   still   in   use,    its   coinage  being  discontinued   in    1857. 


176       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Where  the  bedroom  space  was  limited,  the  children  slept 
in  trundle  or  truckle  beds,  which  could  be  shoved  under 
the  big  beds  when  not  in  use. 

Instead  of  springs,  the  beds  had  slats  placed  cross- 
wise, about  four  inches  apart.  Previous  to  the  time  of 
this  custom,  woven  rope  was  used  to  support  the  mat- 
tress. The  rope  was  placed  around  pegs,  which  ran  all 
around  the  inside  of  the  bed  frame.  When  the  rope  be- 
gan to  sag,  as  rope  will,  it  was  a  real  trick  to  tighten  it. 
A  man  walked  back  and  forth  on  the  rope,  pulling  the 
rope  that  his  weight  had  loosened  and  drawing  it  tight 
at  the  final  row.  It  is  said  many  a  bumped  shin  and 
skinned  nose  was  the  result  of  this  necessary  rope  walk- 
ing.   All  " bedsteads' '  were  made  of  wood. 

The  wishbone  of  a  fowl  was  called  the  "merry 
thought"  or  "merry  bone.'' 

Sewing  machines  were  a  luxury  in  the  late  forties, 
not  being  invented  until  1846,  and  but  few  women  were 
fortunate  enough  to  possess  one.  The  sewing  was  done 
by  hand  on  material  spun  at  home  and  woven  on  a  hand 
loom  by  the  persevering  pioneer  woman.  Some  of  Mrs. 
Judith  Burroughs'  work  may  be  seen  at  the  Evanston 
Historical  rooms. 

The  dense  woods  at  the  present  site  of  Calvary 
Cemetery  attracted  great  flocks  of  wild  pigeons  in  their 
flight  in  spring  and  fall.  Eaccoons  were  fond  of  the 
ripening  corn  on  the  stalk,  feasting  on  it  until  a  dog 
would  discover  them,  and  drive  them  into  the  trees,  where 
they  would  be  brought  down  by  the  shot  gun.  In  the 
fall,  wild  ducks  infested  the  swamp  and  were  bagged  in 
great  numbers.  The  weasel  and  mink  burrowed  under 
the  chicken  houses,  sometimes  killing  whole  flocks  in  a 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  177 

night.  Now  and  then  a  fox  was  caught  in  a  trap  intended 
for  other  game.  The  skunk  went  on  his  way  in  his  de- 
liberate and  self-possessed  manner.  Once  an  eagle  was 
winged  while  he  was  flying  low  over  a  barnyard.  The 
chicken  hawks  were  numerous,  each  flying  round  in  his 
ever  lowering  circle,  then  swooping  down  on  his  unsus- 
pecting victim  to  carry  it  screeching  away  in  his  claws 
into  the  woods  to  devour  at  his  leisure.  The  snipe  was 
a  familiar  sight  flying  along  the  shore  of  the  lake.  The 
woods,  swamps,  sand  ridges  and  hills  along  the  lake 
proved  a  real  "Mecca"  for  the  early  settler  with  sport- 
ing instincts.  Muskrats  frequented  the  route  along  Jud- 
son  Avenue,  where  many  were  trapped  by  Leander  Crain. 
Yellow  perch  were  plentiful  in  the  lake,  and  Ozro  Crain 
was  a  familiar  figure  going  home  with  his  catch. 

To  the  east  of  the  Eidge  the  swamp  blossomed  with 
water  lilies  in  the  proper  season,  and  a  little  later  ki  the 
year  the  cat-tails  and  reed  grew  thick.  The  bull  frogs 
broke  the  quiet  of  the  early  spring  and  summer  nights 
with  incessant  croaking,  almost  drowning  the  hoot  of 
the  owl  or  the  call  of  the  whippoorwill,  and  causing  the 
low  land  west  of  the  Eidge  to  be  given  the  name  of  Frog- 
town. 

The  early  settlers  planted  fruit  trees,  peach  trees 
predominating,  which  flourished  and  bore  rich  harvests 
until  the  forests,  extending  to  the  North  Branch  of  the 
Chicago  river,  were  destroyed.  This  brought  climatic 
changes  which  spelled  the  doom  of  the  peach  harvests, 
and  made  it  almost  impossible  to  grow  peach  trees  on 
the  west  side  of  Lake  Michigan. 

Hazel  brush  and  red  raspberries  were  very  plentiful 
between  the  ridges,  and  west  of  the  Eidge  there  was  an 


178       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

abundance  of  blue  berries  and  huckleberries,  which  drew 
wagon-loads  of  people  from  Chicago  to  gather  them. 
There  were  nearly  always  gypsy  camps  in  the  woods  and 
in  University  grove.  Mrs.  Crain  said  she  would  as  soon 
meet  an  Indian  as  a  gypsy.  The  Indians  were  peaceful 
and  quiet  and  usually  went  about  their  own  business. 

The  first  blacksmith  shop  was  on  the  corner  of  Eidge 
Avenue  and  Noyes  Street,  owned  by  a  Mr.  Fox,  who  sold 
out  in  the  fifties  to  a  Mr.  John  Anderson. 

Mrs.  Charles  Crain 's  memoirs  are  a  source  of  both 
interesting  and  fruitful  information.  Many  of  the  inci- 
dents she  tells  are  worth  repeating. 

The  usual  picnic  place  was  the  site  of  the  present 
University  Grove,  a  beautiful  spot.  After  a  picnic  din- 
ner, the  men  played  ball  or  pitched  quoits.  The  ladies 
played  " Grace  Hoop."  In  this  game,  each  lady  must 
toss,  with  two  sticks,  a  hoop,  which  is  about  a  foot  in 
diameter,  to  another  lady,  who  in  turn  tosses  it  on  to  the 
next,  and  so  on.  The  object  is  not  to  touch  the  hoop  with 
the  hands,  nor  let  it  drop  to  the  ground. 

Leander  Crain,  captain  of  a  schooner  that  sailed  the 
lake,  was  a  great  and  interesting  story-teller,  and  after 
each  trip  his  friends  and  acquaintances  gathered  around 
him  to  hear  the  latest  tale  that  was  sure  to  prove  inter- 
esting. On  one  of  his  return  trips,  Joe  Butterfield,  a 
sailor,  who  lived  in  Gross  Point,  was  swept  overboard  by 
a  sudden  sweep  of  the  boom,  which  had  escaped  control 
of  the  man  at  the  rudder,  who  was  also  handling  the  hal- 
yards. The  schooner  at  the  time  was  rushing  through 
waters  at  a  race-horse  speed  in  pitch  darkness  during  a 
terrific  storm.  The  captain,  knowing  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  find  the  man  in  the  raging  waters,  threw  a  num- 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  179 

ber  of  planks  overboard  in  the  hope  that  he  would  be 
fortunate  enough  to  grasp  one.  However,  he  felt  that 
Butterfield  's  situation  was  hopeless,  and  when  the 
schooner  landed,  the  unfortunate  man's  effects  were 
auctioned  off  to  the  sailors,  according  to  custom,  and  the 
loss  of  a  man  was  reported.  What  was  the  captain's 
surprise  several  days  later  to  meet  Butterfield  in  Chicago 
on  the  street!  The  accident  happened  five  or  six  miles 
from  shore,  and  by  good  fortune,  Butterfield  got  hold  of 
one  of  the  planks  and  drifted  toward  land,  holding  on  till 
daylight,  when  some  Indians  caught  sight  of  him  and 
went  out  in  their  birchbark  canoe  and  brought  him  to 
shore. 

The  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago  river  was  deep 
enough  to  float  saw-logs  down  from  a  short  distance 
further  north  to  a  saw-mill  owned  by  John  Miller  and 
his  father-in-law,  Elon  Crain,  and  situated  a  mile  south 
of  the  present  site  of  the  Glen  View  Golf  grounds.  The 
river  held  many  fish,  which  were  caught  by  spear,  instead 
of  hook  and  line.  The  men  fished  at  night,  their  lantern 
light  attracting  the  fish,  which  were  then  easily  caught. 
The  old  saw-mill  was  torn  down  about  1850. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  river,  through  the  woods, 
were  large  mounds  in  the  shape  of  graves,  differing  only 
in  that  the  ends  were  round  instead  of  square ;  the  centers 
were  about  three  feet  high,  and  trenches  were  dug  around 
them.  These  mounds  were  thought  to  be  Indian  graves, 
but  no  one  had  the  temerity  to  investigate. 

The  only  dentist  in  the  country  in  the  early  forties 
was  a  Mr.  Munn,  who  used  to  pull  teeth  with  what  were 
called  "cant  hooks."  Mrs.  Grain  says,  "It  was  enough 
to  scare  you  to  death  to  look  at  the  instruments.    I  was 


180       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

there  once  and  that  was  enough  for  me."  One  obliging 
dentist  in  Chicago  who  had  a  barber  shop,  pulled  teeth, 
one  for  fifteen  cents,  two  for  twenty-five  cents,  and  talked 
of  weather  instead  of  giving  gas. 

Warner  Burroughs,  brother  of  Mrs.  Crain,  for  two 
years  ran  a  general  store  in  the  wing  of  the  Buck-Eye 
Tavern  building,  which  was  probably  the  first  store  in 
the  neighborhood.  After  these  two  years'  experience  as 
a  merchant,  he  laughingly  told  his  sister  Elmina  that  if 
he  could  find  anyone  with  twenty-five  cents,  that  person 
could  have  the  store.  She  immediately  produced  the 
quarter  and  took  possession  of  the  store.  She  gave  up 
the  store  at  the  end  of  a  year  when  she  was  married  to 
Dr.  Palmer.  Lorenzo  Burroughs  was  the  first  man  ever 
called  from  Evanston,  or  rather  Gross  Point,  to  serve  on 
a  Chicago  jury. 

Mrs.  Crain 's  mother,  Mrs.  David  Burroughs,  was  an 
expert  wool  weaver,  and  specimens  of  her  work  may  be 
seen  at  the  Evanston  Historical  rooms. 

In  April,  1850,  Eidgeville  Township  was  organized 
and  the  name  of  the  post  office  changed  to  Eidgeville. 

The  year  of  1849  was  one  of  the  most  important  in 
the  history  of  the  19th  century.  The  newspapers  all 
over  the  country  were  aglow  with  accounts  of  men  seek- 
ing their  fortunes  in  the  new  Eldorado — California.  Ozro 
Crain  was  one  of  those  smitten  with  the  gold  fever  and 
began  the  journey  across  the  plains  that  took  two  and 
one-half  months. 

He  returned  to  Gross  Point  with  such  enthusiastic 
reports  that  the  following  year  a  party  of  thirty  men, 
his  neighbors  and  friends,  decided  to  make  the  trip,  and 
their  wagon  train  was  called  " Lightening  Express' '  as 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  181 

it  passed  almost  everything  on  the  way,  although  it  took 
over  four  months  to  make  the  journey.  The  party 
started  from  Buck-Eye  Tavern  on  the  morning  of  April 
8,  1850,  and  there  was  a  wagon  to  each  four  men  and  a 
horse  to  each  man.  Their  wives  were  called  California 
widows,  after  the  departure  of  the  men,  and  as  some  of 
the  men  were  claimed  by  death,  a  few  became  real 
widows.  The  women  carried  on  the  work  of  the  farm, 
cheered  by  letters  from  the  absent  ones.  Some  of  the 
men  accumulated  fortunes,  while  others  lost  everything 
they  had,  either  through  misfortune  or  by  theft. 

Keen  was  the  disappointment  of  Ozro  Crain,  who, 
on  returning  to  the  gold  fields,  found  his  claim  "  jumped' ' 
and  that  it  was  proving  rich.  Benjamin  Emmerson  saw 
the  result  of  his  three  years'  labor  in  California  to  the 
amount  of  $3,000  taken  by  thieves  on  his  way  home.  He 
immediately  turned  back  and  at  the  end  of  one  year  he 
had  accumulated  $2,000,  which  he  was  able  to  bring 
home  without  mishap. 

So  many  rough  characters  were  attracted  to  the 
gold  fields  that  a  Vigilance  Committee  was  organized, 
and  after  this  wise  move  there  wras  "a  semblance  of  law 
and  order."  McDaniel,  writing  to  his  wife  under  date 
of  June  6,  1851,  from  Greenhorn  Canyon,  said  that  peo- 
ple conducted  themselves  more  like  heathens  and  brutes 
than  like  civilized  people  from  the  States.  He  had  laid 
in  his  winter  supply  and  gave  a  few  prices  prevailing  at 
the  time : 

Flour $28.00  per  100  lbs. 

Molasses 4.00  per  gal. 

Pork 54.00  per  bbl. 

Coffee .75  per  lb. 


182       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Potatoes .25  per  lb. 

Tea 3.00  per  lb. 

Beans .42  per  lb. 

Fresh  beef 25  per  lb.  <^ng^ 

Sugar .32  per  lb. 

Butter 1.00  per  lb. 

McDaniel  was  fairly  successful  in  his  adventure, 
and  was  able  to  clear  up  some  indebtedness  on  his  farm 
and  buy  more  land  on  his  return.  His  gold  amounted  to 
about  $2,700.  He  worked  a  claim  which  he  called  Gross 
Point  Gulch.  He  was  very  methodical  and  kept  a  diary, 
giving  interesting  details  of  life  in  the  "Golden  West," 
as  well  as  an  account  of  his  journey  thither  over  the 
plains. 

This  is  his  report  for  one  week: 

''Monday  I  took  out  $6.25. 

Tuesday,  wet  and  rainy,  did  nothing. 

Wednesday,  helped  hunt  all  day  for  a  young  man 
from  Milwaukee,  who  was  sick  and  had 
strayed  from  his  cabin  in  the  night. 
Did  not  find  him. 

Thursday,  I  made  $49.00. 

Friday,  $17.00. 

Saturday,  I  sunk  a  hole  12  feet  deep  and  took  out 
the  whole  sum  of  fifty  cents." 

McDaniel  said  he  was  as  hearty  and  tough  as  a  grizzly 
bear,  and  had  not  been  sick  one  minute.  A  copy  of  this 
diary  is  preserved  at  the  historical  department  in 
Evanston. 

Crain  made  a  third  trip,  in  which  he  was  quite  suc- 
cessful in  his  labors.  Ozro  and  Charles  Crain  were  with 
McDaniel  at   Gross   Point   Gulch.     The   population   of 


PIONEERS  OF  GROSSE  POINTE  183 

Gross  Point  Gulch  was  about  two  hundred  inhabitants, 
consisting  of  gamblers,  blacklegs,  thieves,  preachers, 
and  miners,  the  gamblers  being  the  most  numerous. 
Thousand  of  men  who  went  to  the  gold  fields  did  not 
make  enough  to  pay  their  board. 

Of  the  thirty  men  who  started  from  Gross  Point  to 
California  in  1850,  Mrs.  Crain  remembered  the  follow- 
ing: four  Crain  brothers,  Ervin  Crain,  from  Indiana, 
Leander  Crain,  Ozro  Crain,  Charles  Crain,  Orson  Crain, 
a  cousin,  Alonzo  Burroughs,  Sylvester  Beckwith,  Alex- 
ander McDaniel,  Andrew  Eobinson,  Eli  Gaffield,  John 
O'Leary,  Henry  Hazzard,  Fox,  Gillison,  Wm.  Foster, 
John  Foster,  his  son,  Bowman,  Fluent,  Sawyer,  Miller, 
Benjamin  Hill,  Benjamin  Emmerson.  Hartwell  Pratt, 
son  of  George,  was  also  one  of  the  party. 

Charles  Crain  was  the  first  of  the  party  to  return 
home.  He  arrived  with  $1,600,  quite  a  fortune  in  those 
days.  He,  with  fourteen  others,  left  San  Francisco  for 
home  the  first  part  of  February  and  reached  home  about 
seven  weeks  later,  March  20,  1851. 


184        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


"LOOK  FORWARD" 

Later  there  came  men  of  vision 

Along  the  Ridge — 'twas  then  Green  Bay — 
Evans,  Lunt  and  Brown  and  others; 

A  place  they  sought — a  site  where  they 
Might  erect  a  place  of  learning 

For  the  youth.    Off  toward  the  west 
High  the  forest's  great  trees  towered — 

A  fitting  place  to  end  their  quest. 

Lunt,  gazing  through  a  vista  eastward, 

Saw  the  waters  shining  bright ; 
Nearby,  stately  oak  trees  swaying, 

Bending,  beckoning  from  their  height — 
Inviting  his  consideration. 

'Twas  an  answer  to  his  prayer ! 
He  cried,  ' '  Eureka !   I  have  found  it ! ' ' 

No  other  site  could  be  so  fair ! 

They  built  not  themselves  to  profit, 

They  who  gave  and  gave  again. 
Their  motto  was,  "Look  forward"  always, 

And  homage  great  is  due  these  men. 

Ah,  rich  the  heritage  they've  left  us, 

To  look  for  light  past  clouds,  through  tears ; 

In  clarion  tones  has  come  their  message. 

Theirs,  theirs — "Look  forward"  through  the  years. 


Chapter  IX 
THE  BIRTH  OF  NORTHWESTERN  UNIVERSITY (1) 

THE  year  of  1850  saw  the  dawn  of  a  new  era.  A  por- 
tion of  the  Township  of  Ridgeville,  already  sparsely 
settled,  became  the  chrysalis  from  which  Evanston  devel- 
oped and  in  time  spread  its  beautiful  wings  to  the  north 
and  west  and  south,  one  of  the  finest  cities  educationally 
and  one  of  the  best  by  government  on  the  map,  the  pride 
of  its  citizens  and  the  admiration  of  its  neighbors.  The 
idea  of  a  great  university,  the  nucleus  of  a  great  city,  a 
university  with  its  university  environment,  was  conceived 
and  fostered  in  the  minds  of  a  few  men. 

The  idea  realized  would  prove  of  value  not  only  to 
the  community,  but  to  the  whole  of  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tory, the  territory  at  that  time  being  Iowa,  Wisconsin, 
Illinois,  Michigan  and  Northern  Indiana.  These  men  felt 
that  a  place  was  needed  where  the  youth  could  be  taught 
something  of  the  sciences  and  humanities,  get  a  higher 
education  than  was  possible  within  a  reasonable  distance. 
There  was  nothing  of  the  kind  near  Chicago,  which,  with 
a  population  of  28,000  could  boast  of  nothing  more  than 
common  schools,  no  high  school,  as  yet,  having  been 
established.  John  Evans,  Orrington  Lunt  and  Grant 
Goodrich,  at  the  head  of  a  small  group  of  men,  visualized 
a  great  university,  around  which  would  spring  a  com- 
munity of  desirable  citizens;  a  university  in  what  they 


(1)  The  corporation  was  known  as  "Trustees  of  the  Northwestern  Univer- 
sity''  until  1866,  when  it  was  changed  to  its  present  name  Northwestern 
University. 


Orrington  Lunt 


BIRTH  OF  NORTHWESTERN  UNIVERSITY       187 

considered  "the  center  of  influence  in  the  Northwest," 
one  under  the  patronage  and  government  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  Their  plan  was  to  have  not  a 
number  of  higher  institutions  of  learning,  but  a  single 
place,  where  the  Methodist  people  could  concentrate  their 
efforts. 

To  gain  this  end  a  meeting  was  held  May  31,  1850, 
in  the  office  of  Grant  Goodrich,  a  young  lawyer.  His 
office  was  situated  in  the  very  heart  of  the  business 
district  of  Chicago,  on  Lake  Street  between  Clark  and 
Dearborn  Streets,  over  the  hardware  store  of  Jabez  K. 
Botsford.  In  1850,  there  were  but  three  Methodist 
churches  in  Chicago,  and  these  three  churches  were  rep- 
resented at  the  meeting  by  their  respective  pastors, 
namely,  the  Eeverend  Eichard  Haney,  Clark  Street 
church,  the  foremost  preacher  in  Bock  River  Conference, 
a  man  of  commanding  presence  and  great  persuasive 
powers ;  the  Eeverend  E.  K.  Blanchard  of  Canal  Street 
church,  and  the  Eeverend  Zadok  Hall  of  Indiana  Street 
church.  Besides  these  men,  there  were  present  Grant 
Goodrich,  keen,  combative,  persistent;  John  Evans,  a 
dreamer  of  great  dreams,  with  ability  and  force  of  char- 
acter to  make  them  come  true;  Orrington  Lunt,  he  of 
sweet  and  sunny  temper,  quaint  humor  and  tender  heart, 
but  with  a  quick,  strong  mind  and  fearless  mien,  that 
made  him  an  ideal  public  spirited  and  patriotic  citizen; 
Andrew  J.  Brown,  who  had  been  elected  Probate  Judge 
before  his  twenty-first  birthday;  Jabez  K.  Botsford, 
quiet,  unassuming,  but  one  who  knew  his  own  mind  and 
always  voted  the  right  way;  Henry  W.  Clark,  shrewd 
attorney,  with  an  appraising  eye  to  the  future.  They 
were  a  goodly  lot — these  men — three  ministers,   three 


188       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

attorneys,  one  physician  and  two  merchants,  not  one  of 
whom  had  reached  the  forty  year  mark,  but  were,  never- 
theless, well  qualified  to  bring  to  a  successful  issue  the 
great  plan  proposed ;  men  with  faith  in  their  undertaking 
and  faith  in  the  future,  men  who  built  not  for  to-day,  but 
for  tomorrow.  None  of  these  was  a  college  graduate, 
excepting  Dr.  Evans,  who  had  graduated  from  the  med- 
ical department  of  Cincinnati  College. 

Orrington  Lunt  called  the  meeting  to  order.  A 
prayer  was  offered  by  the  Eeverend  Zadok  Hall,  asking 
for  guidance  in  this  great  venture.  Grant  Goodrich  was 
made  chairman  and  Andrew  J.  Brown  secretary.  Mr. 
Goodrich  had  drawn  up  a  set  of  resolutions,  and  after 
the  purpose  of  the  meeting  was  explained,  these  resolu- 
tions were  offered  and  unanimously  adopted. 

The  resolutions  read  as  follows: 

"Whereas,  The  interests  of  sanctified  learning 
require  the  immediate  establishment  of  a  university  in 
the  Northwest,  under  the  patronage  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church: 

"Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  to 
prepare  a  draft  of  a  charter  to  incorporate  a  literary 
university,  to  be  located  at  Chicago,  to  be  under  the  con- 
trol and  patronage  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
to  be  submitted  to  the  next  General  Assembly  of  the 
State  of  Illinois. 

"Resolved,  That  said  committee  memorialize  the 
Rock  River,  Wisconsin,  Michigan  and  North  Indiana  con- 
ferences of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  mutually 
take  part  in  the  government  and  patronage  of  said 
university. 

"Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed 


BIRTH  OF  NORTHWESTERN  UNIVERSITY       189 

to  ascertain  what  amount  can  be  obtained  for  the  erection 
and  endowment  of  said  institution. " 

Dr.  Evans  then  took  the  floor  and  spoke  with  the 
force  and  conviction  of  a  great  orator.  He  saw  a  great 
future  in  the  undertaking,  visioned  the  inevitable  growth 
of  Chicago  and  the  increase  in  land  values.  The  gist  of 
his  speech  was,  let  men  sacrifice  something  now,  and  the 
coming  peoples  would  pay  tribute  to  their  devotion  and 
sagacity. 

Two  committees  were  appointed,  the  committee  on 
the  charter  being  John  Evans,  Andrew  J.  Brown,  E.  G. 
Meek,  A.  S.  Sherman  and  Grant  Goodrich.  The  other 
committee  was  to  work  for  the  co-operation  of  the  North- 
west conferences  and  its  members  were  Eeverend  R. 
Haney,  Eeverend  E.  H.  Blatchford  and  Dr.  John  Evans. 
These  committees  were  to  report  two  weeks  from  that  day. 
Promptly  at  three  o  'clock  on  that  day,  the  men  gathered 
at  the  appointed  place,  the  rear  of  the  parsonage  of  the 
First  Church  on  Clark  Street,  and  Dr.  Evans  reported 
for  his  committee,  the  draft  of  the  charter,  drawn  up 
by  Grant  Goodrich,  which  for  completeness  of  detail 
and  comprehensiveness  of  meaning  could  scarcely  be 
surpassed. 

The  Trustees  of  the  university  named  in  the  charter 
were  as  follows :  A.  S.  Sherman,  Grant  Goodrich,  Andrew 
J.  Brown,  John  Evans,  Orrington  Lunt,  J.  K.  Botsford, 
Joseph  Kettlestrings,  George  F.  Foster,  Eri  Eeynolds, 
John  M.  Arnold,  Absalom  Funk  and  E.  B.  Kingsley. 

Representatives  from  the  various  Methodist  Epis- 
copal conferences  of  the  Northwest  named  in  the  charter 
were  Richard  Haney,  Philo  Judson,  S.  E.  Keyes,  A.  E. 
Phelps,  Henry  Summers,  Elihu  Springer,  David  Brooks, 


190       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Elmore  Yocum,  W.  H.  Eeed,  I.  I.  Stewart,  E.  M.  Smith, 
George  M.  Teas.  The  Michigan,  Northern  Indiana  and 
Illinois  conferences  were  named,  but  no  names  of  their 
representatives  given. 

The  term  of  office  of  the  Trustees  was  to  be  four 
years.  However,  the  length  of  the  first  term  of  each 
member  of  the  Board  was  to  be  fixed  by  lot  at  the  first 
meeting.  Thereafter,  by  this  arrangement,  the  terms  of 
different  groups,  three  members  to  the  group,  expired 
annually,  giving  the  Board  perpetual  succession. 

Each  conference  had  the  right  to  appoint  annually 
two  suitable  persons,  members  of  its  own  body,  to  visit 
the  university  and  to  attend  the  examinations  of  students. 
These  persons  were  entitled  to  participate  in  the  deliber- 
ations of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  to  enjoy  all  the 
privileges  of  members  of  the  Board,  but  they  were  not 
to  have  the  right  to  vote. 

The  university  was  to  be  situated  in  or  near  Chicago. 
A  student  of  any  religious  faith  could  be  admitted. 

The  corporation  was  not  to  hold  land  to  exceed  2,000 
acres  at  any  one  time,  unless  it  was  a  gift,  grant  or 
devise,  in  which  case  the  corporation  was  to  sell,  or  dis- 
pose of  the  same  within  ten  years.  Upon  failure  to  do 
so,  such  lands  over  and  above  2,000  adres  were  to  revert 
to  the  original  donor,  grantor,  devisor  or  their  heirs. 

Sections  6  and  7  deal  with  the  appointment  of  presi- 
dent or  principal  and  the  necessary  instructors,  and  the 
establishing  of  departments  for  the  study  of  any  and  all 
the  learned  and  liberal  professions,  and  the  conferring 
of  degrees. 

Section  8  covers  the  examinations  of  applicants  for 
degrees. 


BIRTH  OF  NORTHWESTERN  UNIVERSITY       191 

The  charter  became  a  law  by  Act  of  Legislature 
January  28,  1851,  chiefly  through  the  efforts  of  Grant 
Goodrich.  The  Act  was  signed  by  Sidney  Breese,  Speaker 
of  the  House,  and  Lieutenant-Governor  Wm.  McMurtry, 
President  of  the  Senate,  and  it  received  the  approval  of 
Governor  C.  A.  French. 

The  instructors  were  to  be  appointed  for  their  quali- 
fications and  not  with  regard  to  their  religious  views. 

One  of  the  charter  members,  Eri  Reynolds,  having 
died,  Dr.  N.  S.  Davis  was  elected  in  his  place  at  the  next 
meeting,  January  14,  1851.  At  this  meeting,  a  Prepara- 
tory School  was  contemplated  and  a  Committee  on  Site 
was  appointed,  which,  at  the  meeting  of  August  4,  1852, 
recommended  the  purchase  of  property  with  eighty  foot 
frontage  on  Washington  Street  in  Chicago,  for  this 
school.  Although  a  bid  of  $4,800  was  made  on  the  prop- 
erty, it  was  not  accepted  and  Dr.  Evans  and  Mr.  Lunt 
were  appointed  to  look  further.  (About  six  years  later, 
this  property  was  bought  by  Mr.  Lunt  and  Dr.  Evans 
for  $32,000.) 

Another  desirable  piece  of  property,  which  belonged 
to  P.  F.  W.  Peck,  was  purchased.  This  lot  was  about 
200  feet  square  and  was  situated  at  the  corner  of  La  Salle 
and  Jackson  Streets  in  Chicago.  The  price  was  $8,000, 
$1,000  down.  Here  the  Trustees  showed  their  loyalty  to 
the  good  cause  by  subscribing  among  them  the  $1,000. 
This  proved  a  good  investment,  as  the  property  in  a 
little  over  fifty  years  brought  an  annual  rental  of 
$79,000. 

At  the  meeting  in  September,  1852,  the  erection  of 
a  building  on  the  lot  for  the  Preparatory  School  was 
authorized ;  the  school  was  to  be  spacious  enough  to  take 


192        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

care  of  300  pupils.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  recom- 
mend a  site  for  a  collegiate  department.    S.  P.  Keyes, 
N.  S.  Davis  and  Orrington  Lunt  comprised  the  committee. 
Although  a  site  along  the  lake  was  desired  by  the  execu- 
tive committee,  several  locations  came  under  considera- 
tion.  The  only  lake  shore  site  available  not  too-  far  from 
the  city  was  at  Winnetka  but  the  price  was  prohibitive. 
Eose  Hill  was  recommended  by  Hon.  W.  B.  Ogden.   This 
place  was  just  north  of  the  site  of  what  is  now  Rose  Hill 
Cemetery  and  was  known  as  Rose's  Ridge.    The  same 
objection  as  to  price  was  found  in  regard  to  this  place. 
A  farm  near  Jefferson  was  considered,  and  the  day 
was  approaching  to  vote  for  the  college  site.   Orrington 
Lunt  could  not  give  up  the  idea  of  a  lake  shore  site,  but 
he  could  not  conscientiously  vote  against  the  Jefferson 
site,  as  the  lake  shore  property  was  held  at  a  figure  too 
high  to  consider.   One  day  he  drove  north  with  a  friend, 
and  while  the  friend  was  engaged  with  his  business,  Mr. 
Lunt  wandered  toward  the  lake,  through  the  wet  land, 
over  bogs(2)  and  planks.    To  the  south  he  saw  that  the 
land  was  wet  and  swampy,  but  looking  north  he  saw 
large  oak  trees,  and  the  thought  struck  him  that  there 
the  high  and  dry  land  began.   It  was  too  near  night  to 
make  a  closer  inspection  and  he  decided  he  would  not 
vote  to  accept  the  options  for  Jefferson  until  the  com- 
mittee should  make  another  trip  north.    To  quote  him, 
"I  began  to  think  this  might  be  the  place  we  were  seek- 
ing. It  continued  in  my  dreams  all  night  and  I  could  not 
rid  myself  of  the  fairy  visions  constantly  pressing  them- 
selves upon  my  thoughts, — fanciful,  beauteous  pictures  of 


(2)  Bog  is  here  used  in  the  New  England  sense  of  the  word.  Probably  Mr. 
Lunt  always  used  this  term,  being  a  Maine  man.  It  is  employed  in  several  histories 
in  speaking  of  his  walk  that  day. 


BIRTH  OF  NORTHWESTERN  UNIVERSITY       193 

the  gentle,  waving  lake,  its  pebbly  shore  and  its  beautiful 
bluffs."  On  the  following  morning,  a  pleasant  August 
day,  the  trustees  in  several  vehicles  drove  over  the  old 
Sand  Eoad,  took  lunch  at  Rose's  Ridge  Tavern,  came 
along  Ridge  Road  to  the  place  Clark  Street  crosses,  fol- 
lowed an  old  cow  path  in  an  easterly  direction  over  the 
slough  in  the  region  of  Davis  Street  and  Sherman  Ave- 
nue and  drove  into  what  is  now  the  campus,  whereon 
stood  the  fine  oak  grove  skirting,  the  lake  shore,  a  place 
as  beautiful  then  as  now,  and  so  delighted  were  the  Trus- 
tees that  some  of  them  threw  up  their  hats  and  shouted, 
"This  is  the  place!" 

The  owner  of  the  tract  of  land,  379  acres,  which  the 
Trustees  now  decided  to  purchase,  if  possible,  was  Dr. 
J.  H.  Foster.  They  found  he  was  not  anxious,  nor  even 
desirous  of  selling.  The  land,  according  to  the  doctor's 
own  statement,  was  not  worth  more  than  $15  or  $20  per 
acre,  and  when  pressed  to  make  a  price  and  terms,  he  set 
the  price  high,  $25,000,  about  $70  per  acre,  probably  think- 
ing the  high  price  would  discourage  the  would-be  pur- 
chasers, but  they  agreed  to  his  price  and  terms,  $1,000 
down  and  the  balance  in  ten  years  at  6%.  Mr.  Lunt  said 
when  he  called  on  Dr.  Foster  to  tell  him  of  their  accept- 
ance of  his  terms,  the  doctor's  face  fell,  showing  he  was 
not  really  pleased  with  the  transaction. 

It  was  then  decided  not  to  build  a  Preparatory  School 
in  the  city  of  Chicago  at  that  time.  The  ground  purchased 
for  this  school  became  later  the  site  of  the  Grand  Pacific 
Hotel,  and  still  later  that  of  the  Illinois  Trust  and  Sav- 
ings Bank,  yielding  a  princely  annual  income. 

The  next  step  was  to  elect  a  president  of  the  insti- 
tution,  whose   duty  it  would   be   in  the  beginning   to 


194       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

solicit  subscriptions.  A  young  man  thirty-six  years  old, 
Dr.  Clark  Titus  Hinman,  of  the  Michigan  Conference,  a 
graduate  of  Wesleyan  University,  Connecticut,  and  for- 
mer principal  of  Newbury  Seminary  in  Vermont,  was 
chosen. 


Chapter  X 
THE  NEW  UNIVERSITY 

MONEY  was  needed  to  carry  through  the  enterprise 
undertaken.  Dr.  Clark  Titus  Hinman  was  elected 
first  president,  and  his  work,  before  the  University 
opened,  was  to  be  the  raising  of  subscriptions  and  the 
selling  of  scholarships. 

The  Trustees  of  the  University  voted  to  raise  $200,- 
000  by  the  sale  of  scholarships.  Dr.  Hinman,  in  his 
enthusiasm  for  the  undertaking,  mentally  made  the 
figure  $500,000  and  set  his  goal  to  that  end.  With  this 
figure  in  view,  he  started  zealously  to  work  to  sell 
scholarships  for  the  new  university,  and  so  successful 
was  he  that  within  a  year  he  had  sold  to  the  amount  of 
$64,000  and  others  working  under  him  had  sold  to  the 
amount  of  $37,000. 

Perpetual  scholarships  were  issued,  which  sold  for 
$100  each.  These  entitled  the  purchaser,  or  his  heirs,  to 
tuition  forever,  but  in  time  these  proved  impractical,  as 
the  terms  were  too  liberal. 

Transferable  scholarships  sold  for  $100,  entitling  the 
holder  to  $500  in  tuition. 

Scholarships  that  sold  for  $50  entitled  the  holder  to 
$250  in  tuition. 

One-half  of  the  funds  was  to  go  toward  tuition  and 
the  other  half  toward  the  purchase  of  lands,  which  were 
not  to  exceed  1,200  acres,  for  the  site  of  the  University 
and  erection  of  buildings. 


196       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Dr.  Hinman,  ardent  worker  and  eloquent  speaker, 
went  from  place  to  place  in  his  task  of  selling  scholar- 
ships. At  Janesville,  Wisconsin,  where  his  work  had 
taken  him,  in  such  glowing  terms  did  he  speak  of  the 
future  university  and  of  the  new  town,  that  Frances 
Willard — then  a  young  lady — and  her  father,  who  was 
with  her  in  the  audience,  then  and  there  decided  to  come 
to  the  university  town  to  live. 

In  1854,  the  year  before  the  opening  of  the  doors  of 
the  University,  where  he  had  been  engaged  to  teach 
Moral  and  Intellectual  Philosophy,  Dr.  Hinman  died,  and 
the  office  was  not  again  filled  by  a  regular  president  for 
nearly  two  years. 

A  piece  of  land,  comprising  248  acres,  lying  just  west 
of  the  Foster  tract  was  bought  by  the  Trustees  of  the 
University  from  Harvey  B.  Hurd  and  Andrew  J.  Brown. 
The  ground  owned  by  the  Trustees  was  now  laid  out  in 
lots  and  blocks  and  given  the  name  of  Evanston,  after 
John  Evans,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  University.  Mar- 
garet Evans,  wife  of  John  Evans  and  sister  to  Mrs. 
Orrington  Lunt,  suggested  the  final  syllable,  making  the 
name  Evanston,  instead  of  Evansville  or  Evanstown. 

Orrington  Lunt,  Vice-President  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  University,  had  been  asked  to  allow  his 
name  to  be  given  to  the  new  town.  He  it  was  who  had 
made  the  first  donation  toward  the  University.  It  was 
his  tenacity  in  holding  out  for  a  site  along  the  lake  shore 
for  the  University  that  had  resulted  in  the  town's  ideal 
location,  and  the  honor  was  none  too  great  to  confer  on 
him.  However,  he  modestly  declined.  His  home  was 
pleasantly  situated  in  Chicago,  where  he  had  settled  in 
1842.     The  lake  he  loved  so  well  washed  almost  to  his 


THE  NEW  UNIVERSITY  197 

doorstep,  and  he  preferred  to  make  no  change  in  his 
residence. 

Dr.  Evans,  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
wished  the  new  town  to  carry  Bishop  Simpson's  name. 
Dr.  Evans  had  become  interested  in  religion  through 
Bishop  Simpson  and  had  been  persuaded  by  him  to  come 
to  Chicago,  that  being  a  broader  field  for  his  work. 
Bishop  Simpson  felt  that  the  new  town  should  have  Dr. 
Evans'  name  and  so  urged  it. 

Dr.  Evans  had  already  given  generously  to  the  Uni- 
versity, but  with  characteristic  liberality  he  made  further 
donations  and  decided  to  make  his  home  in  the  new  town. 
His  home  was  located  in'  the  block  between  University 
Place  and  Clark  Street,  on  Hinman  Avenue. 

The  Trustees  bought  up  yet  more  land — the  Billings 
farm,  comprising  28  acres.  Land  values  were  increasing, 
both  in  Evanston  and  in  Chicago.  The  new  town  looked 
well  on  paper  and  was  beginning  to  take  shape  in  reality. 
Arrangements  were  made  to  beautify  the  place  by  six 
public  parks.  The  University  ground  was  to  occupy  the 
exact  "latitudinal  center' '  of  the  town. 

The  increase  in  the  value  of  their  holdings  gave 
great  encouragement  to  the  Trustees.  In  two  years  the 
value  of  the  Peck  property  in  Chicago  rose  from  $8,000, 
the  purchase  price,  to  $42,500;  the  Foster  tract  from 
$25,000,  the  purchase  price,  (its  real  value  was  about  one- 
quarter  of  that  amount  at  the  time  of  purchase)  to 
$102,000;  the  Billings  farm  from  $3,000  to  $4,200.  The 
outlook  was  now  favorable  for  the  opening  of  the  school. 

In  June,  1853,  a  small  corps  of  professors  was 
elected,  Henry  S.  Noyes,  instructor  in  Mathematics, 
W.  D.  Godman,  instructor  in  Greek,  and  Abel  Stevens, 


Dr.  Clark  Titus  Hinman  Professor  Henry  S.  No  yes 


Grant  Goodrich 


The  Rev.  Philo  Judson 


THE  NEW  UNIVERSITY  199 

instructor  in  Literature.  In  such  high  regard  did  the 
Trustees  hold  the  merits  of  these  men  that  they  say,  "To 
speak  of  their  qualifications  is  superfluous."  However, 
they  did  say  of  Abel  Stevens  that  he  * '  stands  beside  the 
finest  writers  of  the  age."  And  it  so  happened  that  he 
was  the  only  one  of  the  three  that  never  taught  in  the 
University ! 

Hurd  and  Brown  donated  the  right  of  way  for  the 
railroad  and  also  ground  for  the  station.  In  1854,  the 
Chicago  and  Milwaukee  Eailroad  began  carrying  pas- 
sengers to  and  through  the  growing  town,  the  little  ten- 
ton,  wood-burning  engine  belching  forth  great  volumes  of 
grey  smoke.  The  streets  were  undergoing  grading,  being 
put  in  usable  condition.  In  the  fall  and  winter  months, 
the  residents  whose  business  took  them  to  the  city,  each 
day  carried  their  lanterns  to  and  from  the  station,  to 
help  them  pick  their  way  over  the  muddy  streets  and 
across  lots  before  daylight  in  the  mornings  and  after 
dark  in  the  evenings,  as  there  could  be  no  choice  of  trains, 
which  were  few  and  far  between.  The  lanterns  stood  in 
a  row  during  the  day  on  the  station  platform,  and  were 
reclaimed  at  night. 

Schooners  and  other  vessels  were  discharging  lum- 
ber, or  taking  their  way  past  the  college  town  to  its  larger 
sister  settlement,  Chicago,  now  a  full-fledged  city. 

At  the  meeting  of  June,  1855,  the  liberality  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  showed  itself  in  the  donation  of  a 
large  lot  for  Evanston  public  schools. 

That  month  saw,  too,  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone 
for  the  first  building  of  the  University. 

The  Trustees  were  happy  in  the  knowledge  that 
their  five  years  of  hoping,  praying,  working  were  at  last 


200       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

bearing  fruit.  The  idea  conceived  in  their  brains  five  years 
previous,  in  May,  1850,  had  its  material  beginning  in  the 
building  that  was  erected  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
Block  20,  on  Davis  Street,  near  Hinman  Avenue — Old 
College — the  first  on  the  campus,  and,  it  follows,  the  first 
in  the  hearts  of  the  alumni  of  those  early  years.  This 
building,  albeit  a  modest  one  in  the  eyes  of  later  students, 


Old  College 


was,  no  doubt,  quite  a  pretentious  one  in  the  eyes  of  those 
most  interested  at  the  time.  It  was  fifty  feet  by  forty 
feet,  three  stories  high,  with  an  attic  and  a  belfry.  This 
first  college  building  held  a  chapel,  a  museum,  six  class 
rooms,  and  halls  for  two  literary  societies.  The  Trustees 
hoped  that  aspiring  students  would  wish  to  use  the  three 
rooms  in  the  attic,  exchanging  their  work  of  ringing  the 


THE  NEW  UNIVERSITY  201 

college  bell  for  their  lodging.  Five  years  passed  be- 
fore a  second  building  was  erected  on  the  University 
grounds. 

Reverend  Philo  Judson  was  business  agent  of  the 
University  and  did  the  laying  out  and  platting  of  the 
lots.  These  lots  were  to  be  sold  one-fifth  down  and  the 
balance  in  five  years. 

The  streets  began  to  take  on  names  familiar  in 
sound,  names  of  friends  of  the  new  town,  friends  who 
with  labor  and  love  and  money  gave  the  place  an  impetus 
toward  big  things  and  a  big  future:  Sherman,  Lunt, 
Hinman  and  Judson.  Other  names  suggested  the  religi- 
ous leaning,  such  as  Asbury  and  Wesley.  Nevertheless, 
it  must  be  remembered  that  the  professors  for  the  Uni- 
versity were  chosen  absolutely  without  regard  to  their 
denominational  training  and  wholly  with  regard  to 
their  character  and  qualifications.  Students  were  to  be 
admitted  under  the  same  conditions. 

No  president  had,  as  yet,  been  elected  to  fill  the  place 
of  Dr.  Hinman,  nor  did  the  Trustees  elect  another  presi- 
dent until  June  following  Dr.  Hinman 's  death  when  Pro- 
fessor Noyes  become  "Acting  President.' '  He  was  not 
eligible  to  the  office  of  president,  as  he  was  not  a 
clergyman,  a  requirement  in  those  days. 

Henry  S.  Noyes  was  born  in  Landaff,  New  Hamp- 
shire. He  graduated  from  Wesleyan  University  at  Mid- 
dletown,  Connecticut.  At  the  time  Clark  Hinman  urged 
him  to  come  west,  he  was  principal  of  the  Newbury 
(Vermont)  Academy.  Professor  Noyes  turned  his  back 
on  the  brilliant  future  the  east  evidently  held  for  him  and 
accepted  a  place  in  the  young  University  as  instructor  of 
Mathematics. 


202        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Professor  Noyes  arrived  several  months  before  the 
date  set  for  the  University  to  open  its  doors  and  at  once 
took  up  the  task  of  collecting  money  due  on  the  scholar- 
ships promised  Dr.  Hinman.  Day  after  day  he  traveled 
around  on  horseback,  or  in  an  open  buggy,  over  muddy 
country  roads,  in  pursuance  of  his  duties.  How  unpleas- 
ant his  self-appointed  task  became  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  when  the  faculty  and  friends  of  the  University  met 
for  a  joyful  occasion,  his  speech  consisted  of  half  a  page 
recited  from  Homer.  It  is  not  difficult  to  picture  him 
sitting  quietly  among  his  associates,  listening  to  tale 
after  tale  of  happy,  successful  endings  to  tasks  others 
had  undertaken ;  keenly  appreciative  of  all  that  went  on ; 
then,  when  called  upon  for  a  speech,  rising  almost  reluc- 
tantly to  respond. 

Far  be  it  from  him  to  put  a  damper  on  the  meet- 
ing; not  for  him  was  it  to  tell  the  whys  and  wherefores 
of  non-payment  of  money  due,  or  of  disheartening  post- 
ponements he  had  met — rather  not  speak  of  his  work 
at  all — and  so  he  recited  Homer,  whose  words  he  had 
at  his  tongue's  end.  But  the  words  of  Homer  fell  on 
deaf  ears.  Suddenly  his  associates  knew — knew  better 
than  if  he  had  told  them  in  so  many  words,  and  their 
hearts  went  out  to  him  in  kindly  understanding  and 
loving  sympathy. 

Circulars  were  sent  out,  inviting  the  students  to 
assemble  November,  1855,  as  the  building  would  be  com- 
pleted by  that  time.  November  5,  1855,  the  University 
was  opened  without  pomp  or  ceremony,  beyond  a  single 
prayer,  with  the  ever  dependable  Orrington  Lunt  and 
John  Evans  present.  Only  four  students  appeared. 
These,   with  the   two   professors,   Noyes   and   Godman, 


THE  NEW  UNIVERSITY  203 

Philo  Judson,(1)  the  business  agent  of  the  University, 
and  a  few  townsmen  completed  the  number  in  attend- 
ance. 

Professor  Noyes  had  hoped  to  have  more  time  to 
devote  to  his  favorite  subject,  mathematics,  in  the  new 
University,  than  he  had  had  at  the  Vermont  Academy, 
but  in  this  he  was  to  be  disappointed,  as  his  days  were 
filled  with  his  various  duties. 

Professor  Godman,  too,  gave  much  time  to  collect- 
ing money  and  selling  scholarships,  but  he  had  the 
advantage  over  Professor  Noyes  in  being  a  clergyman 
and  therefore  he  could  appear  before  the  Methodist 
conferences. 

There  were  ten  students  enrolled  the  first  year,  nine 
of  whom  were  as  follows  :  Thomas  E.  Annis,  Winchester 
E.  Clifford,  Samuel  L.  Eastman,  J.  Marshall  Godman, 
Horace  A.  Goodrich,  C.  F.  Stafford,  Hart  L.  Stewart, 
Albert  Lamb,  Elhanon  Q.  Searle,  all  from  or  near 
Evanston. 

The  requirements  for  entrance  were  to  be  the  same 
as  those  for  Harvard,  Yale,  Wesleyan  and  other  similar 
first-class  institutions  of  learning,  but — to  Northwest- 
ern 's  everlasting  glory  be  it  said — with  the  added 
requirement  of  United  States  History. 

There  were  plans  for  fourteen  professorships.  Some 
young  men  whom  the  Trustees  had  in  mind  were  to  travel 


(1)  Philo  Judson  learned  the  trade  of  hatter  in  New  York  State.  He  fol- 
lowed this  trade  but  a  few  years.  After  uniting  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  joining  the  Rock  River  Conference,  he  received  the  appointment  of 
Savannah  Mission,  a  circuit  of  240  miles,  over  which  he  traveled  horseback,  and 
his  study  for  the  ministry  was  said  to  have  been  made  upon  his  horse  on  the 
Western  prairies.      He  was  elected  business   agent   for  Northwestern   University   in 

1852  to  raise   funds  for  the  building  of  that   institution   and  also  for  Garrett.      In 

1853  he  came  to  Evanston  to  reside,  at  first  being  secretary,  financial  agent  and 
treasurer  for  the  University;  later  trustee  and  vice-president,  filling  the  latter 
office  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1876. 

He  surveyed  the  Northwestern  grounds  and  platted  the  Village  of  Evanston. 


204       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

and  study  a  year  or  more  in  Europe  before  taking  up 
their  work,  that  they  might  increase  their  efficiency. 
Meanwhile  the  two  professors  comprised  the  faculty,  and 
it  was  well  that  each  had  a  broad  general  education,  as 
the  first  years  they  had  to  instruct  the  students  in  Greek, 
Latin,  Mathematics  and  Literature.  The  students  profited 
by  the  classes  being  small,  in  that  they  received  individ- 
ual attention. 

The  rules  were  simple,  but  strict.  If  a  student 
expected  to  be  absent  from  town,  he  must  secure  a  per- 
mit beforehand.  Attendance  at  Sunday  services  was 
compulsory. 

Tuition,  where  a  scholarship  was  lacking,  was  $45 
per  year.  Board  was  $2.50  to  $3.50  per  week  in  the  homes 
of  residents. 

The  college  bell  announced  recitation  hours  and 
devotional  services. 

The  students  wore  a  uniform  cap,  and  the  professors 
wore  the  Prince  Albert  coat  and  tall  silk  hat. 

Dr.  Hinman,  bright  and  shining  light,  had  literally 
gone  down  under  the  duties  he  had  assigned  himself.  In 
loving  memory  the  students  organized  a  literary  society 
and  named  it  for  him.  "The  Hinman  Literary  Society" 
inherited  his  library,  and  held  its  meetings  in  the  north- 
east corner  of  the  third  story  of  the  college  building. 

The  University  was  at  last  a  reality,  the  dream  of 
Evans,  Lunt,  Goodrich,  Brown,  Botsford,  Clark  and  the 
three  goodly  churchmen,  Hall,  Blanchard  and  Haney, 
come  true! — a  great  undertaking  still  in  its  swaddling- 
clothes,  to  be  nurtured  and  watched  over  carefully,  that 
its  growth  might  be  steady  and  its  feet  be  kept  on  solid 
ground. 


Chapter  XI 
SUCCEEDING  YEARS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY 

THE  Anti-Liquor  Limit  was  established  February  14, 
1855,  by  an  amendment  to  the  University's  Charter, 
signed  by  the  Speaker  of  the  House  and  President  of  the 
Senate,  and  approved  by  Governor  Joel  A.  Mattison.  Its 
Section  II  created  a  prohibition  district  within  the  four- 
mile  limit,  protecting  both  the  students  and  the  citizens, 
and  making  Evanston  a  prohibition  city. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  Northwestern  University 
was  an  institution  of  public  value,  Section  IV  ordained, 
"That  all  property,  of  whatever  kind  or  description, 
belonging  to  and  owned  by  said  corporation,  shall  be  for- 
ever free  from  taxation  for  any  and  all  purposes.' '  The 
exemption  from  taxes  has  been  the  subject  of  controversy 
many  times,  but  the  question  was  legally  settled  by 
decision  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  The  Uni- 
versity pays  all  street  improvements  —  sewers,  water 
mains,  and  sidewalks. 

One  June  day  in  1856,  the  Trustees  met  in  their  own 
building,  which  had  been  recently  completed.  One  can 
almost  see  that  little  group  of  men,  with  their  self-con- 
gratulatory smiles,  as  they  clasped  hands  in  greeting.  It 
had  been  a  long  and  tedious  climb,  but  they  had  trodden 
each  step  of  the  way  with  sure  and  steady  feet,  upward 
and  onward  toward  their  goal.  More  than  one  important 
milestone  had  been  passed :  the  charter  had  been  granted 
in  1851 ;  the  site  for  the  University  had  been  decided  upon 


206       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

and  bought,  in  1853 ;  the  University  had  opened  Novem- 
ber, 1855 ;  during  the  first  year  two  professors  had  been 
teaching  at  salaries  of  $1,500  per  annum ;  a  business  agent 
had  been  busy  selling  lots  and  scholarships ;  the  Drain- 
age Committee  had  been  formed,  (1855),  and  soon  the 
land  would  be  reclaimed  and  made  habitable  for  the 
incoming  citizens — the  land  that  now  held  only  swamp 
grasses  and  croaking  frogs.  Eeason  enough  for  the  Trus- 
tees to  be  proud  and  happy,  congratulating  themselves 
on  the  success  of  their  tremendous  undertaking! 

At  this  meeting  Dr.  Eandolph  S.  Foster  was  elected 
second  president.  There  was  but  one  dissenting  vote  and 
this  was  cast  in  favor  of  Dr.  E.  Otis  Haven.  Dr.  Foster's 
salary  was  to  be  $2,000  a  year.  Daniel  Bonbright  was 
elected  to  fill  the  chair  of  Latin  Language  and  Literature, 
but  was  to  be  allowed  a  year's  absence  in  Europe  before 
taking  up  the  work. 

Dr.  Foster  was  a  diligent  student,  having  the  power 
to  master  any  subject  he  attacked.  Miss  Willard  says  he 
not  only  took  up  the  subject  of  geology  at  a  time  when 
it  was  considered  antagonistic  to  Christianity,  but  he 
delivered  many  sermons  and  lectures  on  it  from  his 
pulpit — always  to  crowded  houses.  This  was  true  also  of 
astronomy  and  evolution.  He  was  not,  however,  an  evolu- 
tionist in  the  modern  sense  of  the  word.  Dr.  Foster  was 
considered  one  of  the  greatest  orators  in  the  Methodist 
pulpit,  and  was  described  as  "pre-eminently  a  preacher," 
"a  natural  leader,' '  "a  living  flame,"  "a  consuming 
fire."  With  his  great  gift  of  eloquence  and  power  of 
persuasion,  he  was  at  the  same  time  singularly  simple- 
hearted,  enjoying  games  with  his  children,  even  helping 
them  compose  verses  for  their  valentines. 


Professor 
William  P.  Jones 


Northwestern  Female  College 


208        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

According  to  Miss  Willard,  no  teacher  was  more 
beloved.  In  1873,  Dr.  Foster  was  elected  bishop  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

At  this  time,  1856,  it  was  decided  to  invite  Rush 
Medical  College,  still  in  its  infancy,  and  Garrett  Biblical 
Institute  to  unite  with  Northwestern  University.  Rush 
Medical  College  preferred  to  continue  as  it  was,  and  the 
charter  of  Garrett  Biblical  Institute  and  Mrs.  Garrett's 
will  prohibited  that  institute  joining  with  another. 

In  1854,  Professor  William  P.  Jones  made  plans  to 
open  the  Northwestern  Female  College  and  Male  Prepa- 
ratory School,  for  which  he  had  secured  a  charter,  in 
buildings  to  be  erected  on  the  west  side  of  Chicago  Ave- 
nue, between  Greenwood  Boulevard  and  Lake  Street.  He 
asked  the  Trustees  for  space  in  their  building,  until  such 
time  as  his  would  be  ready  for  occupancy.  In  this  he  was 
refused,  as  the  Trustees  were  not  pleased  with  the  idea 
of  another  school  opening  in  their  neighborhood. 

There  is  probably  no  more  interesting  personage  of 
those  early  days  than  zealous  Professor  Jones,  a  young 
man  barely  twenty-two,  but  far  ahead  of  the  times.  At 
that  time,  1854,  it  was  the  general  opinion  that  semi- 
naries and  academies  —  finishing  schools  —  answered  all 
the  requirements  of  young  ladies,  women  not  being  con- 
sidered capable  of  grasping  the  "intricacies  of  higher 
education." 

In  The  Story  of  Northwestern  University,  Miss 
Ward  tells  us  that  on  a  trip  through  the  east  to  study  edu- 
cational methods,  William  Jones  and  his  brother  met 
Matthew  Vassar,  who  urged  them  to  locate  their  school  in 
the  east,  and  drove  them  over  ground  where  later  were 
built  the  Vassar  College   buildings.    They  met   Henry 


SUCCEEDING  YEARS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY      209 

Towle  Durant,  a  wealthy  young  lawyer  of  Boston,  who 
became  attracted  to  the  idea  of  a  college  for  women  as 
outlined  by  the  Jones  brothers,  and  later  used  his  great 
wealth  to  found  Wellesley  College. 

The  young  professor  had  the  support  of  his  family 
in  his  undertaking.  One  brother  devoted  all  of  his  earn- 
ings in  the  gold  fields  to  the  project.  His  father  and  the 
four  brothers  dug  the  cellar  and  built  the  foundation 
walls  of  his  building.  Its  corner  stone  was  laid  the  same 
day  the  corner  stone  of  Old  College  was  laid,  June  15, 
1855,  and  Bishop  Simpson  conducted  both  services. 

Professor  Jones  used  a  room  over  Colvin's  store  as 
a  classroom,  until  his  building  was  completed.  His  only 
assistant  was  Mary  E.  Hayes,  a  Mount  Holyoke  gradu- 
ate, whom  he  married  within  a  few  years.  His  pupils 
numbered  eighty-three.  The  preparatory  department  for 
beys  became  popular  among  the  younger  set  of  men  pre- 
paring themselves  for  college.  Tuition  was  low,  which 
was  a  big  item  in  the  school's  favor.  Within  a  year,  on 
one  of  the  coldest  days  of  a  cold  winter,  the  building 
burned  and  Professor  Jones  injured  his  health  perma- 
nently in  trying  to  save  his  property.  Northwestern  Uni- 
versity, having  overcome  its  ill  feeling  toward  the  young 
professor,  generously  threw  open  its  doors  and  allowed 
his  classes  to  use  some  of  its  rooms.  There  was  no  insur- 
ance on  the  building,  but  the  Jones  family  again  showed 
its  loyalty,  and  rebuilt  the  college,  having  it  ready  for 
the  opening  term  in  the  fall. 

The  Willard  sisters,  Frances  and  Mary,  Mary  Ban- 
nister— later  Mrs.  Oliver  Willard — and  Katheryn  Kidder 
were  among  the  early  students  of  the  Northwestern 
Female  College — "The  Nunnery  of  St.  Jones,' '  as  it  was 


Frances  and  Mary  Willard 


m 

^^              ?1 

p     iff    js?        ''V\ 

■J 

A                 1   F  |     *] 

7;:                          ^     .  ~      * 

it! 

fe>  &   &"* 

j^nr~?  •  -^*i*v -:a2l 

■■■■■■■ 

The  Willard  Home,  Now  Rest  Cottage 


SUCCEEDING  YEARS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY      211 

called  by  Northwestern  students.  Professor  Jones  one 
morning  found  this  name  painted  on  crescent  shaped 
boards  over  several  entrances  to  the  grounds. 

The  first  printed  sheet  in  Evanston  was  published 
by  Professor  Jones'  students,  The  Casket  and  Budget, 
dated  December,  1858. 

The  Northwestern  Female  College  flourished  for  six- 
teen years.  It  was  then  merged  into  Evanston  College 
for  Ladies,  with  Frances  E.  Willard  president. 

In  July,  1856,  Dr.  Foster  urged  the  Trustees  to  con- 
sider erecting  appropriate  permanent  buildings  for  the 
University,  but  the  matter  of  permanent  buildings  rested 
for  ten  years ;  then  subscriptions  were  raised  for  Univer- 
sity Hall,  which  was  completed  in  1870. 

The  Northwestern  University  catalogue  of  1856 
speaks  of  its  Museum  of  Natural  History  as  being,  per- 
haps, the  best  in  the  west,  the  specimens  having  been 
labeled  by  a  scientist  under  the  auspices  of  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution,  and  exchanges  were  made  with  that 
institution.  The  collection  for  the  museum  was  begun 
by  Robert  Kennicott,  and  was  housed  in  the  fourth  story 
of  University  Hall. 

In  a  circular  issued  during  the  summer  of  1857  three 
classes  were  promised  by  the  University  for  the  follow- 
ing year  and  a  fourth  class,  if  students  applied  who  were 
far  enough  advanced. 

In  1857,  Dr.  Bonbright  was  given  permission  to 
remain  a  second  year  in  Europe  and  Dr.  W.  S.  Blaney 
was  added  to  the  teaching  force  for  Natural  Science. 

The  University  started  educationally  on  the  very 
highest  plane,  but  the  building  of  its  home  site  began 
with  pioneer  work,  as  its  record  of  expenses  shows  such 


Daniel  Boxbright 
Henry  S.  Carhart 
Robert  L.  Cumnock 


Oliver  Marcy 
Joseph  Cummings 
Jane  M.  Bancroft 
Robert  Baird 


Julius  F.  Kellogg 
Herbert  F.  Fisk 
Charles  W.  Pearson 


SUCCEEDING  YEARS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY      213 

items  as  ditching,  chopping,  fencing,  surveying,  grading, 
platting,  clearing  streets,  bridging,  draining,  grubbing, 
and  building  breakwaters. 

Eighty-five  home  sites  were  sold  at  prices  from  five 
dollars  to  ten  dollars  per  foot  during  the  year  of  1857, 
most  of  them  adjoining  the  University  grounds. 

A  preparatory  school  was  established  this  year, 
occupying  part  of  the  University  building.  The  prepara- 
tory students  and  the  University  students  continued  to 
use  the  same  building  until  1873,  when  the  University 
students  moved  into  other  quarters.  For  nine  years  the 
two  departments  were  under  the  same  faculty,  when  a 
change  was  made.  However,  Professor  Kistler,  who  had 
charge  of  the  preparatory  department,  continued  teach- 
ing in  the  University  for  the  next  two  years,  at  which 
time  the  preparatory  work  was  turned  over  to  Acting 
President,  Dr.  D.  H.  Wheeler.  In  1891,  there  were  nearly 
seven  hundred  pupils  in  the  preparatory  department,  in 
Old  College  building. 

In  1857,  the  University  assets  exceeded  its  liabilities 
by  more  than  $315,000,  and  its  financial  agent,  Philo  Jud- 
son,  was  jubilant  over  this  condition. 

The  first  graduating  class  made  ready  to  leave  its 
Alma  Mater  in  June,  1859.  The  University  now  had 
twenty-nine  students  in  attendance.  Those  who  proudly 
delivered  their  graduating  orations  and  received  their 
various  degrees  were  Thomas  E.  Annis,  Winchester  E. 
Clifford,  Samuel  L.  Eastman  and  Elhanon  Q.  Searles, 
receiving  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  and  Henry  M. 
Kidder,  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Philosophy. 

Philo  Judson,  who  had  done  such  good  work  as  the 
University's    financial    agent,    now    resigned,    and    the 


214       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

beloved  and  overworked,  but  willing  Professor  Noyes 
who  was  appointed  business  agent  to  succeed  Judson, 
cheerfully  added  this  work  to  his  other  duties.  He  had 
been  taking  care  of  the  financial  affairs  of  the  University, 
which  were  connected  with  college  expenses,  tuition,  etc., 
and  he  now  assumed  the  property  management  and  other 
business  of  the  institution,  not  sparing  himself  in  any 
service  he  could  render  to  the  object  of  his  affections. 

In  1860,  Dr.  Foster  resigned  and  Dr.  E.  0.  Haven 
was  elected  to  fill  the  chair,  but  refused  it  to  go  elsewhere. 
Professor  Xoyes  was  elected  vice-president  and  served 
for  nine  years  as  Acting  President.  Dr.  Godman,  instruc- 
tor in  Greek,  resigned,  and  Professor  Noyes  offered  his 
tired  shoulders  for  yet  another  burden.  Professor  Noyes 
was  at  this  time  Professor  of  Mathematics,  Acting  Presi- 
dent, Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  Financial 
Agent,  so  it  was  voted  to  give  him  $600  more  per  year 
than  the  other  professors,  in  consideration  of  his  extra 
work  in  teaching  Greek. 

The  students  had  but  few  occasions  to  use  spending 
money,  so  the  parents  were  asked  "to  place  funds  to  be 
used  for  pocket  money  in  the  hands  of  the  faculty, ' '  thus 
avoiding  temptations  that  might  come  the  students '  way. 

When  the  war  broke  out  in  1861,  the  ranks  of  both 
professors  and  students  w^ere  reduced.  Dr.  J.  V.  Z. 
Blaney  resigned  the  Chair  of  Natural  Science  to  enlist, 
and  many  students  followed  his  example,  among  them 
Plympton,  McCasky,  Spencer,  Haney,  H.  A.  Pearsons, 
0.  C.  Foster,  Charles  F.  Smith  and  M.  C.  Springer. 
There  were  but  two  left  in  the  senior  class,  and  very 
soon  there  was  but  one  remaining.  The  recruiting  officer 
had  an  easy  task  in  Evanston,  after  a  rallying  meeting 


SUCCEEDING  YEARS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY      215 

in  the  white  frame  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  that 
stood  on  the  ground  of  the  present  library. 

Doctors  Dempster  and  Bannister  were  called  upon 
to  help  fill  out  the  teaching  force.  In  1862,  Oliver  Marcy 
was  elected  Professor  of  Natural  Science,  to  take  Dr. 
Blaney's  place. 

The  first  experiment  in  the  way  of  a  dormitory  was 
a  building  erected  on  Orrington  Avenue,  near  Clark 
Street,  which  accommodated  about  twenty  students. 

In  1863,  the  mortgagee,  Dr.  Foster,  from  whom  the 
379  acres  of  land  were  bought  in  1853  for  the  site  of  the 
University,  received  the  final  payment  on  this  property. 

Chicago 's  liquor  league  was  determined  to  break  down 
the  four-mile  limit  and  many  suits  were  brought  and 
fines  inflicted.  Finally  it  was  decided  to  take  a  case  to 
the  Supreme  Court.  In  this  case  James  Mulligan  took 
the  side  of  the  liquor  league  against  John  L.  Beveridge, 
who  represented  the  University.  After  these  men  went 
to  war,  Harvey  B.  Hurd  argued  the  case  in  the  Supreme 
Court.  His  antagonist  was  so  intoxicated  that  Mr.  Hurd 
had  to  present  both  sides  of  the  case  to  the  Court.  The 
Court 's  decision  was  in  favor  of  the  University.  How- 
ever, the  question  was  to  come  up  again. 

The  Reverend  Louis  Kistler  was  made  principal  of 
the  Preparatory  Department  in  1865,  and  occupied  tem- 
porarily the  Chair  of  Greek,  which  was  later  filled  by 
Robert  Baird. 

In  1865,  Orrington  Lunt  donated  a  tract  of  land 
adjoining  Wilmette  for  library  endowment.  The  Univer- 
sity valiantly  set  out  to  meet  certain  obligations  that  this 
endowment  entailed.  The  Trustees  turned  their  attention 
to  more  buildings  on  the  campus,  and  went  about  making 


University  Hall 


SUCCEEDING  YEARS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY      217 

plans  to  raise  subscriptions  to  accomplish  the  building 
of  University  Hall,  which  was  to  be  the  first  permanent 
building  of  the  group.  The  subscriptions  to  this  build- 
ing amounted  to  $48,000  in  1866.  The  Trustees  were 
doubtful,  however,  as  to  the  wisdom  of  completing  the 
building  until  there  were  sufficient  funds  in  hand.  Harvey 
B.  Hurd  proposed  that  the  building  be  completed  before 
halting  the  work,  and  his  proposition  carried.  This  was 
a  wise  plan,  as  the  report  of  Professor  Noyes  proved. 
In  this  report,  he  says  that  the  erection  of  the  building 
greatly  inspired  public  confidence  and  had  a  marked 
influence  in  raising  the  price  of  the  University  property. 
University  Hall,  completed  in  1870,  is  of  Athens  stone. 
It  was  designed  by  Gr.  P.  Eandall,  one  of  Chicago's 
leading  architects.  Mr.  Eandall  claimed  to  be  the  first 
architect  to  use  the  dished  floors  and  semicircular 
arrangement  of  seats  in  churches.  The  University  of 
Chicago  adopted  a  style  of  architecture  similar  to  that 
of  University  Hall.  Evanstonians  sometimes  referred  to 
this  building  as  a  Poem  in  Stone.  The  clock  in  the  tower 
was  the  gift  of  the  class  of  1879 ;  the  bell,  the  gift  of  the 
class  of  1880. 

In  1866,  a  stimulus  was  given  to  the  college  work 
by  various  prizes  offered — the  Lunt  Prize  in  Philology; 
Haskin  Prize  in  Mathematics;  Hurd  Prize  in  Physical 
Science;  Kedzie  Prize  in  Declamation;  Hamilton  Prize 
in  Composition  and  Reading. 

This  year,  1866,  the  corporate  name  of  the  University 
was  changed  from  Trustees  of  the  Northive stern  Univer- 
sity to  Northwestern  University. 

The  Snyder  farm,  south  of  Dempster  Street  and 
running  from  Chicago  Avenue  to  the  lake,  was  bought 


218       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

and  subdivided  into  lots.  The  sales  and  leases  on  this 
property,  made  by  that  indefagitable  worker  and  keen 
business  agent,  Professor  Noyes,  earned  a  profit  of  more 
than  $15,000  over  the  original  investment  in  less  than  two 
years,  and  there  were  still  lots  unsold  which  were  valued 
at  more  than  $74,000.  This  property  proved  itself  to  be 
one  of  the  choicest  that  the  University  owned. 

Professor  Noyes  at  last  succumbed  to  the  weight  of 
his  many  tasks.  He  had  dropped  part  of  his  work  in 
1869,  and  resigned  the  secretaryship  in  1870.  He  had 
been  Acting  President  for  many  years,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded at  his  death,  in  1872,  by  Professor  D.  H.  Wheeler, 
as  Acting  President.  We,  who  have  never  known  him, 
cannot  but  feel  a  bit  of  a  heartache  in  reading  of  his 
passing.  We  span  the  intervening  half  century  or  more, 
and  see  him  sitting  behind  his  sorrel  horse,  driving 
through  muddy  roads  and  over  unpaved  streets,  at  all 
hours  and  in  all  weathers,  trying  to  collect  money  due  on 
scholarships ;  we  hear  him  recite  a  bit  of  Homer,  in  order 
to  spare  his  colleagues  a  tale  of  distress  and  disappoint- 
ment ;  we  see  him  take  on  his  frail  shoulders  burden  after 
burden  that  others  have  laid  down.  Ah,  the  name  of 
Noyes  Street  is  not  his  only  memorial!  The  great  Uni- 
versity, in  its  wholesome  wholeness  of  today  stands  a 
glorious  monument  to  him,  as  well  as  to  other  blazers  of 
the  way  for  the  University,  during  the  latter  half  of  the 
nineteenth  century ! 

About  1868,  the  Chicago  Medical  College,  at  Prairie 
Avenue  and  26th  Street,  became  a  part  of  the  University. 

In  1870,  Dr.  Erastus  O.  Haven,  President  for  six 
years  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  was  elected  Presi- 
dent of  Northwestern  University  at  a  salary  of  $4,500. 


SUCCEEDING  YEARS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY      219 

He  was  a  graduate  of  Wesleyan  University.  He  had 
been  Principal  of  Amenia  Seminary,  New  York;  Pro- 
fessor of  Latin  at  Michigan  University  and  later  of 
English  Language,  Literature  and  History,  a  member  of 
Massachusetts  State  Senate,  and  Overseer  of  Harvard 
University. 

The  accumulated  volumes  of  twenty  years  at  last 
found  a  home  in  the  north  end  of  the  third  floor  of  Uni- 
versity Hall,  and  twenty  thousand  books  were  added  to 
these  from  the  Greenleaf  Library,  donated  by  Luther  L. 
Greenleaf,  a  friend  of  the  University,  and  one  of  its 
trustees. 

Dr.  Haven  held  the  presidency  for  two  years,  then 
resigned,  to  answer  a  call  of  the  General  Conference,  and 
Dr.  C.  H.  Fowler,  a  graduate  of  Garrett,  succeeded  him 
in  1872. 

Professor  Robert  McLean  Cumnock,  A.M.,  L.H.D., 
became  connected  with  Northwestern  University  in  1868 
as  Doctor  of  the  School  of  Oratory.  He  was  born  in  Ayr, 
Scotland,  and  graduated  from  Wesleyan  University  at 
Middletown,  Connecticut,  in  1868.  Frances  Willard  says 
she  was  a  pupil  of  this  accomplished  artist  in  1872, 
"when  to  help  our  Women's  College,  he  taught  its  presi- 
dent as  a  free-will  offering  on  the  shrine  of  improved 
English  and  ameliorated  manner." 

The  Evanston  College  for  Ladies  had  its  beginning 
September  24,  1868,  at  the  home  of  Mrs.  Mary  F.  Haskin, 
where  a  number  of  women  met  who  believed  in  higher 
education  for  women.  These  women  formed  the  Women's 
Educational  Association,  with  fifteen  members  on  the 
board  of  managers.  Mrs.  Haskin  was  elected  president ; 
Mrs.   J.   K.   Huse,   vice  president;   Mrs.   Elizabeth   M. 


220       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Greenleaf,  treasurer;  Mrs.  Harriet  N.  Noyes,  recording 
secretary;  Miss  Cornelia  Lunt,  corresponding  secretary. 
The  board  was  organized  under  a  charter  the  following 
April  (1869).  The  Village  Board  of  Trustees  donated  a 
tract  of  land.  Until  the  building  for  the  college  was 
ready  for  occupation,  the  board  leased  the  old  North- 
western Female  College  building.  The  alumnae  of  the 
Northwestern  Female  College  were  made  the  senior 
alumnae  of  the  new  institution.  Professor  Jones  sur- 
rendered his  charter  to  the  President  of  the  Board,  Mrs. 
Haskin.  Frances  E.  Willard  was  made  President  of  the 
Faculty.  Ground  was  broken  for  the  building  June  3, 
1871.  This  was  a  gala  occasion,  with  religious  and 
Masonic  ceremonies.  The  corner  stone  of  the  new  build- 
ing, Woman's  Hall,  was  laid  July  4,  1871.  Ten  thousand 
people  came  to  University  Grove  from  nearby  towns  and 
the  surrounding  country.  Excursion  boats  ran  out  from 
Chicago.  This  day  was  probably  the  first  field  day  in 
Evanston.  There  were  such  athletic  sports  as  jumps, 
ball-throwing,  tub  races,  boat  races  on  the  lake,  and  the 
baseball  game  between  Northwestern  University  and  the 
Evanston  College  for  Ladies,  which  resulted  in  a  score 
of  57  to  4  in  favor  of  Northwestern.  Baseball,  the 
national  game,  began  to  be  indulged  in  about  this  time. 
On  this  day  $10,000  was  raised  for  the  University  and 
of  this  amount  Governor  Evans  of  Colorado  Territory 
gave  $2,500. 

There  was  no  catalogue  issued  1871-1872.  In  1873, 
the  Evanston  College  for  Ladies  was  merged  into  North- 
western University,  remaining  the  Evanston  College  for 
Ladies.  Miss  Willard  was  made  Dean  of  the  new  organi- 
zation. The  following  is  quoted  from  Northwestern  Uni- 


SUCCEEDING  YEARS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY      221 


versity  catalogue  of  1873:  "The  Evanston  College  for 
Ladies  is  recommended  to  young  women  who  wish  to 
avail  themselves  of  the  advantages  of  the  University. 
The  students  are  provided  with  comfortable  rooms  and 
boarding  in  the  college.' ' 


Courtesy  of  National  Woman's  Christian  Temper- 
ance Union 

Frances  E.  Willard 

Dean  of  Woman's  College, 
Northwestern  University 

Dr.  Haven  had  accepted  the  presidency  of  North- 
western University  only  on  condition  that  women  should 
be  admitted  to  the  University  on  equal  footing  with 
the  men. 

The  name  Fern  Sent  was  bestowed  on  Woman  's  Kail 
by  Northwestern  students,  and  the  name  was  not  frowned 


222       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

down  by  the  girl  students.  For  many  years  this  name 
clung  to  the  building,  much  to  the  disgust  of  various 
members  of  the  faculty.  In  1895,  the  editors  of  the 
Syllabus  were  asked  to  refrain  from  using  the  objection- 
able term  in  the  book  that  year,  to  which  they  agreed, 
but  a  jingle  "A-HEM,"  written  by  Walter  Dill  Scott  of 
the  class  of  1895,  and  published  in  the  Syllabus,  shows 
how  close  they  came  to  the  danger  line. 

The  name  of  AVoman's  Hall  was  changed  to  Willard 
Hall  in  1900,  in  honor  of  Frances  Willard,  and  the  name 
Fern  Sem  became  only  a  memory  on  the  campus. 

Dr.  Fowler  in  starting  new  movements,  especially 
the  merging  of  the  Evanston  College  for  Ladies  with  the 
University,  had  brought  new  financial  burdens.  The 
budget  of  1878  showed  a  discouraging  outlook,  but  the 
next  year,  with  a  new  Ways  and  Means  Committee,  there 
was  a  better  showing. 

Then  came  another  menace.  From  the  first,  there 
had  been  more  or  less  ill  feeling  in  regard  to  the  Univer- 
sity's tax  exemption.  In  Chamberlain's  Chicago  and  Its 
Suburbs,  published  in  1874,  is  the  following :  ' '  The  ques- 
tion of  their  exemption  will  probably  soon  be  decided. 
On  the  instance  of  Mr.  James  Boot,  County  Attorney,  the 
property  was  assessed  this  year.  Legal  measures  are,  if 
necessary,  to  be  resorted  to,  to  enforce  the  assessment.' ' 
Two  years  later  the  climax  was  reached  when  the 
assessor  listed  the  property  for  taxation.  Backed  by 
their  chartered  rights,  the  Trustees  stood  firm  for  tax 
exemption,  and  the  case  went  to  court.  The  University 
lost  in  both  the  Lower  Court  of  the  State,  and  the  State 
Supreme  Court.  The  case  was  carried  to  Washington 
with  Grant  Goodrich,  Wirt  Dexter,  and  Senator  M.  H. 


Heck  Hall  Memorial  Hall 

First  Gymnasium  Building 


224       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Carpenter  as  attorneys  for  the  University,  and  the 
decision  was  made  in  favor  of  the  University,  which 
meant  exemption  from  taxation  forever. 

The  second  dormitory  for  men  was  bnilt  on  Cook 
Street,  the  resnlt  of  Dr.  Eobert  Hatfield's  labors.  This 
dormitory  housed  thirty  men. 

There  was  an  early  attempt  at  gymnasium  work  on 
the  campus.  Melville  C.  Spaulding,  of  the  class  of  1860, 
solicited  ten  cents  each  from  the  students,  and  with  the 
six  dollars  collected  created  the  first  gymnasium.  This 
consisted  of  uprights,  parallels,  bars,  etc.,  in  the  north- 
western corner  of  the  college  lot,  the  site  now  occupied 
by  the  Orrington  Lunt  Library. 

In  1876,  a  stock  company  of  students  built  a  much- 
needed  gymnasium,  forty  feet  by  eighty  feet,  with  a 
bowling  alley  in  the  basement,  and  a  room  above  for 
exercises.  This  gymnasium  building  was  the  result  of 
efforts  of  two  undergraduates,  Frank  M.  Elliott  and 
W.  G.  Evans,  son  of  John  Evans.  Most  of  the  stock  in 
the  building  was  bought  by  undergraduates  in  shares  of 
ten  dollars  each.  By  1878,  the  building  was  greatly  in 
need  of  repairs  and  it  was  decided  to  transfer  the  major- 
ity of  the  stock  to  the  Trustees.  In  1881,  under  Dr. 
Cummings,  the  newly  elected  president,  the  place  was 
put  in  good  repair,  the  outside  of  the  building  receiving 
a  veneer  of  brick.  The  woodwork  on  the  interior  casing 
was  done  by  students  and  faculty  members,  including 
the  good  president  himself,  Dr.  Cummings.  The  College 
Journal  in  1883  said,  uWe  now  have  one  of  the  finest  and 
most  complete  gymnasiums  in  the  West. "  Prizes  were 
offered  for  various  gymnastic  efforts.  On  October  15, 
1892,  a  movement  was   started  by  George   Muir,  who 


SUCCEEDING  YEARS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY      225 

owned  a  bookstore  on  Davis  Street,  to  raise  a  building 
fund.  The  $2,500  grandstand  on  the  new  athletic  field 
north  of  the  site  of  the  Patten  gymnasium  was  the  result. 
Dr.  Sheppard  furnished  lumber  for  an  enclosing  fence 
and  the  undergraduates  did  the  work  under  the  super- 
vision of  a  boss  carpenter.  The  field  was  named  Shep- 
pard Field,  in  honor  of  this  very  generous  friend  of 
athletic  sports. 

The  old  Rugby  game  of  football  began  to  be  played 
on  the  campus  in  the  fall  of  1878. 

In  1865  the  name  of  Nicholas  Cawthorne  is  men- 
tioned in  the  catalogue  of  the  Northwestern  Female 
College  as  being  in  charge  of  the  music.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Oscar  Mayo,  a  professor  highly  recommended, 
coming  from  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  Female  College.  Pro- 
fessor Mayo's  assistant  was  Count  Laurent  de  Fosso, 
who  taught  not  only  music  but  French,  Spanish  and 
Italian.  There  were  from  sixty  to  seventy  students  of 
music, 

Mr.  Mayo  continued  in  charge  of  the  music  depart- 
ment when  the  Northwestern  Female  College  became  the 
Evanston  College  for  Ladies,  in  1871".  The  third  story 
of  Woman's  Hall  was  devoted  entirely  to  art  and  music, 
with  Professor  Mayo  still  at  the  head  of  the  music 
department.  The  first  mention  of  Professor  Mayo  in 
Northwestern  University  catalogue  is  in  1873. 

In  1876,  Professor  Oren  E.  Locke  succeeded  Pro- 
fessor Mayo,  continuing  in  charge  eight  years.  At  the 
end  of  Professor  Locke's  first  year,  there  were  enrolled 
two  hundred  thirty-one  students.  In  1891,  Professor 
Locke  resigned.  At  this  time,  the  school  had  such  poor 
attendance  that  discontinuing  the  Conservatory  of  Music 


226       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

was  seriously  considered.  By  advice  of  Miss  Cornelia 
(Nina)  Lnnt,  it  was  decided  to  continue  the  classes  in 
music  in  the  University,  and  at  her  suggestion,  Peter 
Christian  Lutkin  was  placed  in  charge.  Eighty-nine 
pupils  attended  during  Mr.  Lutkin 's  first  year,  and  the 
name  was  changed  from  Conservatory  of  Music  to 
Department  of  Music.  The  second  year  saw  an  increase 
in  the  number  of  students  to  one  hundred  twenty-eight. 
In  1896,  the  official  title  of  the  school  was  again  changed, 
this  time  to  School  of  Music. 

Professor  Lutkin  was  appointed  Dean,  and  the  other 
members  of  the  faculty  ranked  as  instructors. 

The  Department  of  Music  occupied  three  rooms  of 
Woman's  Hall  on  the  main  floor  and  six  rooms  in  the 
basement. 

Ground  was  broken  for  Music  Hall  in  1896.  The 
building  was  finished  and  dedicated  April,  1897. 

Dr.  Marcy,  who  had  been  elected  Acting  President 
June  22,  1876,  resigned  from  the  University  in  1881, 
after  clearing  off  $200,000  of  the  school's  indebtedness, 
Governor  John  Evans  helping,  and  William  Deering, 
that  ever  faithful  friend  of  the  University,  bearing  the 
lion's  share.  Others  agreed  to  help  lighten  the  burden, 
under  the  persuasive  powers  of  Dr.  Cummings  and  Dr. 
Hatfield. 

The  Illinois  School  of  Pharmacy  became  the  prop- 
erty of  the  University,  and  thereafter  was  known  as  the 
Northwestern  School  of  Pharmacy. 

Dr.  Joseph  Cummings  succeeded  Dr.  Marcy  as  presi- 
dent, and  filled  the  chair  for  almost  ten  years.  At  his 
death  in  1890,  Dr.  Henry  Wade  Eogers  was  elected 
president. 


SUCCEEDING  YEARS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY      227 

In  1892,  the  American  College  of  Dental  Surgery 
was  combined  with  the  Northwestern  Dental  School. 
The  Women's  Medical  College,  on  Lincoln  Street  in 
Chicago,  was  also  purchased. 

The  Orrington  Lunt  Library  was  erected  and  named 
in  honor  of  its  principal  benefactor.  This  is  one  of  the 
finest  buildings  on  the  campus,  and  is  pure  classic  in 
style  of  architecture. 

The  Annie  May  Swift  Hall  was  chiefly  the  gift  of 
Gustavus  F.  Swift,  in  honor  of  his  daughter  who  died 
during  her  college  career.  The  building  is  devoted  to 
elocution  and  oratory,  and  dramatic  arts  in  general. 

Science  Hall  grew  out  of  a  pressing  need  for  proper 
facilities  for  laboratory  work  in  chemistry  and  physics. 
A  liberal  friend  made  a  donation  of  $45,000  to  the  Uni- 
versity for  this  purpose  and  the  building  was  begun  in 
1886.  Each  of  the  two  departments  was  equipped  with  a 
lecture  room,  apparatus  room  and  professor's  room,  a 
laboratory  for  physics  and  two  for  chemistry,  besides 
workshop  and  storeroom  and  smaller  rooms  for  special 
work.  In  a  few  years  each  of  the  departments  had  out- 
grown its  quarters. 

A  bequest  of  $100,000  came  to  the  University  from 
Daniel  Fayerweather,  a  leather  merchant  of  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  who  had  made  benefactions  to  many  colleges.  This 
bequest  was  brought  about  through  the  efforts  of  Dr. 
Robert  Hatfield. 

Fisk  Hall  wTas  built  by  William  Deering,  and  named 
for  Dr.  Herbert  Franklin  Fisk,  President  of  Northwest- 
ern University  Academy. 

Many  improvements  were  made  on  the  campus  by 
William    Deering,    such    as    fencing    in    the    campus, 


228       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

building  gateways,  and  enlarging  Woman's  Hall.  He  also 
made  a  donation  of  $200,000  worth  of  securities  and  later 
$50,000  for  charity  work  in  the  Methodist  Church,  and 
donated  property  worth  $100,000  for  future  endowment. 
Other  donations  came  from  this  generous  man — $5,000  at 
one  time  and  $25,000  at  another. 

In  1889,  the  new  observatory  on  the  north  campus 
of  the  University  received  the  telescope  and  other  astro- 
nomical apparatus.  When  the  University  of  Chicago 
met  with  loss  by  foreclosure  of  its  mortgage,  the  Astro- 
nomical Society  moved  the  telescope  to  Evanston  and 
remounted  it  in  the  new  building,  which  was  a  gift  from 
the  University  and  from  Honorable  James  B.  Hobbs. 
Professor  George  W.  Hough  became  Director  of  Dear- 
born Observatory.  The  building  was  constructed  under 
his  supervision. 

In  1899,  Dr.  Kogers  resigned  and  Dr.  Bonbright, 
who  had  been  connected  with  the  University  since  1858, 
became  Acting  President.  Dr.  Bonbright  at  his  death 
in  1912  had  been  connected  with  the  University  over 
fifty-four  years. 

The  splendid  buildings  on  the  McKinlock  campus 
had  not  been  thought  of,  when  the  new  century  was 
ushered  in. 


Chapter  XII 
GARRETT  BIBLICAL  INSTITUTE 

GARRETT  Biblical  Institute  had  its  beginning  in 
1854.  The  idea  of  snch  an  institution  had  its  incep- 
tion in  the  minds  of  the  same  men  who  founded  North- 
western University.  These  men  were  going  forward  with 
plans  for  a  school  of  theology,  when  Eliza  Garrett  by  her 
will  provided  for  the  endowment  of  one.  At  that  time, 
of  the  fifty-four  institutions  of  like  character,  there  were 
but  two  west  of  the  State  of  Ohio. 

Eliza  Clark  was  born  near  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  in  1805. 
She  was  married  to  Augustus  Garrett  in  1825.  In  1834 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Garrett  came  to  Chicago  to  reside.  At  that 
time  Chicago  held  but  400  inhabitants.  Augustus  Garrett 
was  an  auctioneer,  with  rooms  at  the  corner  of  Dearborn 
and  South  Water  Streets.  He  was  said  to  be  "a  musical 
man,  full  of  wit  and  curious  pranks. ' '  His  auctioneering 
business  netted  him  a  good  income  and  in  time  he  became 
fairly  well  off,  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  Chicago  and 
one  of  its  early  mayors  (1843-1846). 

At  a  great  religious  revival  in  1839,  both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Garrett  were  converted  and  received  into  the  First 
Methodist  Church  of  Chicago.  Eliza  Garrett,  a  devout 
and  earnest  Christian,  decided  after  the  death  of  her 
husband  in  1848,  to  use  her  fortune,  $150,000,  for  religi- 
ous purposes,  and  upon  consulting  Grant  Goodrich,  one 
of  the  founders  of  Northwestern  University,  she  was 
advised  that  her  money  could  be  put  to  no  better  use  than 


230 


EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


the  founding  of  a  School  of  Theology.  In  December,  1853, 
she  made  her  will,  bequeathing  the  larger  part  of  her 
property — real  estate  in  the  business  section  of  Chicago — 
to  found  the  school  that  later  received  the  name  of  Gar- 
rett Biblical  Institute.  Mrs.  Garrett  arranged  that  her 
will  was  to  be  put  into  execution  at  once,  so  that  the 


Mrs.  Eliza  Garrett 


school  could  be  started  without  awaiting  her  death.  She 
reserved  but  a  small  sum,  $400  per  annum  for  herself. 
Less  than  two  years  after  this  date  she  passed  away, 
on  November  23,  1855. 

The  Reverend  John  Dempster,(1)  son  of  a  Scotch 


(1)      Dr.  Dempster  was  born  in  1794,  and  died  in  1863. 


GARRETT  BIBLICAL  INSTITUTE  231 

missionary  who  was  sent  to  America  by  John  Wesley, 
was  invited  by  those  who  represented  Mrs.  Garrett  to 
co-operate  with  them  in  carrying  ont  her  plans.  Dr. 
Dempster  had  had  experience  in  this  line.  In  1845  he 
began  the  work  of  the  first  theological  seminary  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Newburg,  Vermont, 
where  Clark  T.  Hinman  was  one  of  the  professors.  This 
seminary  was  transferred  in  1847  to  Concord,  New 
Hampshire,  and  ultimately  became  the  School  of  Theol- 
ogy of  Boston  University.  Dr.  Dempster  had  been 
a  circuit  preacher  in  the  wilds  of  Canada,  a  popular 
New  York  preacher,  a  pastor  in  several  other  important 
churches,  a  presiding  elder  and  a  missionary  to  Buenos 
Aires,  before  he  came  west  to  found  a  School  of  Theology 
and  accepted  the  invitation  to  co-operate  with  Mrs.  Gar- 
rett 's  representatives. 

In  February,  1854,  the  Trustees  of  Northwestern 
University  offered  a  site  at  a  nominal  rent  for  the  Gar- 
rett Biblical  Institute.  The  offer  of  the  site  was  accepted 
and  the  institution  was  established  at  the  northern 
extremity  of  the  ground  platted  for  the  campus,  beyond 
the  ditch  called  by  students  "The  Kubicon." 

The  institute  was  organized  with  five  directors, 
Grant  Goodrich,  Orrington  Lunt,  John  Evans,  John 
Clark  and  Philo  Judson,  who  were  to  act  as  trustees 
until  a  charter  for  a  permanent  institution  should  be 
obtained. 

In  January,  1855,  the  first  building,  later  known  as 
Dempster  Hall,  was  dedicated.  Chicago  friends  drove 
out  in  sleighs  and  Mrs.  Garrett  herself  was  present.  The 
date  of  the  charter  is  February  15,  1855,  and  the  incor- 
porators   were    the    same    as    the    directors,    with    the 


GARRETT  BIBLICAL  INSTITUTE  233 

exception  of  Stephen  P.  Keyes,  who  was  put  in  the  place 
of  John  Clark. 

The  first  term  opened  September  22,  1856,  with  an 
enrollment  of  four  students  and  ended  with  sixteen. 
Among  the  first  professors  elected  were  the  Reverends 
William  Goodfellow  and  Wesley  P.  Wright. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  board,  June,  1855,  Judge 
Grant  Goodrich  was  elected  president  and  Orrington 
Lunt  secretary  and  treasurer.  Judge  Goodrich  served 
thirty-five  years  and  was  succeeded  at  his  death  by 
William  Deering.  Orrington  Lunt  served  until  his  death 
in  1897. 

Dr.  Dempster  was  made  Professor  of  Systematic 
Theology;  Daniel  P.  Kidder  taught  Practical  Theology; 
Dr.  Henry  Bannister,  Greek,  Hebrew  and  Sacred  Liter- 
ature. Reverend  John  K.  Johnson  was  principal  of  the 
Preparatory  Department.  Reverend  Obadiah  Huse  was 
appointed  House  Governor  of  the  school  building. 

Tuition  was  free  and  the  students  roomed  in  the  attic 
of  Dempster(2)  Hall  or  exchanged  labor  for  their  keep 
with  the  townspeople,  by  whom  each  student  was 
treated  as  one  of  the  family  and  given  the  use  of  the 
library. 

The  College  of  Liberal  Arts  gave  free  tuition  to  the 
theological  students. 

Among  the  names  of  the  trustees,  besides  those 
already  given  are  many  familiar  ones :  John  V.  Farwell, 
William  Deering,  the  Reverends  Charles  Fowler,  and 
Robert  D.  Sheppard;  and  among  the  faculty,  the  Rev- 
erends Francis  D.  Hemenway,  Miner  Raymond  and 
William  X.  Ninde,  who  was  president  from  1879  to  1884, 

(2)      Dempster  Hall  burned  to  the  ground  in  1S76. 


234       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

when   he    was    succeeded   by   the    Keverend    Henry   B. 
Ridgaway. 

The  property  of  Mrs.  Garrett  was  mostly  unpro- 
ductive when  it  was  turned  over  to  the  trustees,  but  their 
skill  in  handling  it,  putting  as  much  as  possible  under 
rents,  brought  good  results.  In  1860  the  Wigwam  was 
erected  where  Lincoln  was  nominated,  and  rented  for  a 
nominal  sum.  This  building  was  converted  into  business 
tenements.  These  were  burned  in  1867.  The  row  of  brick 
buildings  that  was  later  put  up  on  this  ground  was  swept 
away  by  the  fire  in  1871. 

To  help  pay  its  share  of  the  church's  contribution 
to  suffering  Chicago,  after  the  fire  of  1871,  the  Institute 
erected,  in  1872,  a  larger  building  for  rental  purposes. 
This  did  not  prove  a  success  as  the  panic  of  1873  lowered 
the  rents  and  made  many  of  the  lessees  bankrupt,  so  the 
trustees,  becoming  alarmed  at  the  financial  condition  of 
the  Institute,  decided  to  make  an  appeal  to  the  church. 
The  members  of  the  faculty  generously  contributed  one- 
fourth  of  their  salaries,  which  helped  a  little.  Dr.  W.  C. 
Dandy  was  chosen  at  the  Bock  River  Conference  to  make 
an  effort  to  arouse  interest  in  the  needs  of  the  Institute. 
In  this,  he  was  very  successful. 

The  gift  of  $30,000  for  the  endowment  of  the  Chair 
of  Practical  Theology  was  received  from  Mrs.  Cornelia 
A.  Miller  of  Joliet,  Illinois.  Other  gifts  were  received  at 
this  time.  Dr.  Dandy  not  only  succeeded  in  bringing 
about  financial  relief,  but  awakened  an  interest  "in  the 
ministerial  education  in  the  church  at  large/ ' 

In  the  early  nineties  Garrett  Biblical  Institute 
announced  to  the  church  that  all  of  its  indebtedness  had 
been  paid.     This  was  the  result  of  Dr.  Dandy's  intelli- 


GARRETT  BIBLICAL  INSTITUTE  235 

gent  and  persistent  labors  and  the  sale  of  some  riparian 
rights. 

In  1866,  the  centennial  year  of  American  Methodism, 
Heck  Hall,(3)  a  commodious  dormitory,  was  begun,  being 
completed  in  1867,  at  a  cost  of  $60,000.  It  was  named  in 
honor  of  Barbara  Heck,  called  the  Mother  of  Methodism 
in  America.  Dr.  James  S.  Smart  was  made  financial 
agent,  and  he  was  ably  assisted  in  raising  money  for  the 
new  building  by  the  Ladies'  Centenary  Association,  of 
which  Mrs.  Hamline  (wife  of  Bishop  Hamline)  was  presi- 
dent and  Frances  E.  Willard  was  secretary. 

The  year  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  saw  its 
hundredth  anniversary,  in  1884,  the  idea  of  Memorial 
Hall  originated.  Three  of  the  professors  pledged  them- 
selves to  the  amount  of  $800.  The  Eeverend  E.  H.  Gam- 
mon generously  pledged  $5,000  and  this  pledge  was 
followed  by  one  by  William  Deering  for  a  like  amount. 
The  trustees  then  promised  $6,000  or  one-fifth  of  the  cost, 
provided  the  cost  did  not  exceed  $30,000.  With  these  sub- 
scriptions pledged,  the  contract  for  the  building  was  let. 
Drawings  were  submitted  by  Professor  Charles  F.  Brad- 
ley and  plans  were  worked  out  from  them  by  W.  W. 
Boynton,  of  Chicago.  The  ground  was  broken  for  the 
building  by  Judge  Grant  Goodrich,  President  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  May  13,  1885.  The  building,  60  feet 
by  115  feet,  is  of  red  pressed  brick  on  grey  limestone 
foundation,  with  trimmings  of  buff  Bedford  stone  and 
red  terra  cotta.  The  entrance  on  the  south  is  east  of 
the  base  of  a  tall  tower,  in  the  open  belfry  of  which  is 


(3)  Edgar  O.  Blake,  in  Hurd's  History  of  Evanston,  says:  "The  so-called 
Victorian  Gothic  style  was  now  making  its  appearance,  and  examples  may  be  seen 
in  Heck  Hall,  built  on  the  campus  in  1867  and  Willard  Hall  built  in  1871,  with 
their  mansard  roofs  and  other  characteristic  details." 

Heck  Hall  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1914. 


236       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

space  for  a  bell  or  chime  of  bells.  Frances  Willard  says 
of  its  peculiar  architecture  that  it  might  be  called 
Romanesque. 

Memorial  Hall(4)  contains  large  lecture  rooms,  a 
library,  a  reading  room,  a  chapel,  and  offices  for  the 
president  and  professors.  Rich  memorial  windows  of 
exquisite  coloring  commemorate  Dr.  Dempster,  Dr.  Ban- 
nister, Dr.  Hathaway,  Bishop  Simpson,  Bishop  Wiley, 
the  Reverend  Hooper  Crews,  the  Reverend  A.  G.  Button, 
the  Reverend  S.  G.  Lathrop,  Judge  Goodrich  and  Robert 
F.  Queal.  These  windows  were  donated  by  the  Alumni, 
the  First  Methodist  Church  of  Evanston,  the  Cincinnati 
and  Rock  River  Conference,  Mrs.  A.  G.  Button,  H.  N. 
Higinbotham,  and  William  H.  Craig. 

From  Chicago  north  as  far  as  thirty-five  miles  and 
west  twelve  miles,  there  was  no  church  with  a  regular 
minister  and  throughout  these  localities  the  students 
from  Garrett  trudged  through  mud  and  storms  to  preach 
to  a  congregated  few.  Many  miles  south  of  Chicago  they 
went,  too,  according  to  a  diary  written  by  one  of  Chi- 
cago's pioneers,  Mrs.  Cynthia  Shafer  (born  1829,  died 
1926).  She  tells  of  ministers,  who  came  to  her  house 
from  Evanston  to  preach,  in  1856.  Her  home  was  ten 
miles  south  of  the  court-house  at  the  edge  of  the  great 
Chicago  marsh,  in  which  the  water  was  six  feet  deep  for 
miles,  and  where,  in  winter  the  wolves  played  on  the  ice. 
There  were  but  two  American  families  near.  A  few  fam- 
ilies of  foreigners,  in  huts  on  the  prairie,  lived  by  cutting 
wild  hay  or  prairie  grass.  One  day,  one  of  Mrs.  Shafer 's 
maids  answered  the  door  and  then  reported,  in  great 
excitement,  that  a  preacher  was  at  the  door — he  had  come 


(4)      When  the  new  Garrett  Biblical  Institute  building  was   erected   in    1923, 
Memorial  Hall  was  taken  over  by  Northwestern  University. 


GARRETT  BIBLICAL  INSTITUTE  237 

to  preach !  Mrs.  Sliaf er  immediately  gathered  together  a 
congregation  of  about  twenty-five,  her  own  help,  some 
Catholic  neighbors  and  some  foreign  squatters.  A  young 
theological  student  from  Evanston  preached  that  day. 
Later,  other  theological  students  came  from  Evanston 
and  preached.  The  students  were  always  welcome,  but 
poor  transportation  made  the  trip  too  difficult  for  reg- 
ular visits. 

During  the  first  thirty-seven  years  of  the  existence 
of  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  over  twelve  hundred  young 
men  received  instruction.  Its  Alumni  have  gone  to  many 
lands — a  goodly  number  to  foreign  missionary  fields.  Up 
to  1900,  at  least  six  of  its  graduates  had  been  elected 
bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Dr.  Vincent, 
the  founder  of  the  Chautauqua  Literary  and  Scientific 
Circle,  whose  influence  was  felt  all  over  the  world,  was 
one  of  the  instructors  at  Garrett. 

According  to  its  charter,  Garrett  Biblical  Institute 
can  never  be  absorbed  by  another  institution,  but  must 
always  remain  independent. 


Chapter  XIII 

EARLY  DAYS  OF  EVANSTON 

ALL  the  government  land  had  been  taken  up  before 
/~\  the  Trustees  of  Northwestern  University  came  out 
in  1850  to  decide  on  a  site  for  the  University,  most  of 
the  land  having  been  preempted  during  the  preceding 
fifteen  years. 

By  1850  Ridge  Eoad  had  been  improved  by  the  con- 
struction of  Mulford's  Ditch,  and  was  much  used  in  the 
hauling  of  wood  and  produce  to  Chicago.  It  was  not 
unusual  for  one  hundred  ox-teams  to  pass  over  it  in 
a  day.  Between  1850  and  1860  settlers  began  to 
appear,  attracted  by  the  University.  They  were  not 
only  neighbors,  but  friends,  greeting  each  other  with  a 
pleasant  How-do-you-do,  or  perhaps  a  Howdy  now 
and  then. 

Previous  to  the  platting  of  the  town,  there  were  a 
number  of  settlers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Ridge  Avenue. 
George  Kearney  came  in  1855  with  his  brother,  who  was 
contractor  for  the  Chicago  and  Milwaukee  Railroad.  He 
built  north  of  Emerson  Street  and  west  of  the  Ridge. 
Here  he  kept  a  general  store.  Eli  Gaffield  lived  north  of 
Foster  Street  and  east  of  the  Ridge.  Mrs.  Eliza  Pratt, 
Gaffield  Js  sister,  resided  in  her  new  frame  house  south 
of  Emerson  Street  and  west  of  the  Ridge.  John  Carney 
lived  west  of  the  Ridge,  north  of  Dempster  Street.  The 
Crains,  Ozro  and  Charles,  lived  south  of  Dempster  Street 
on   the   Ridge.    William   Foster,   "Uncle   Billy,"   lived 


Harvey  B.  Hurd 


Lyman  J.  Gage 


Edward  Eggleston 


Alexander  Hesler 


240       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

south  of  Main  Street  and  west  of  Ridge  Avenue,  a  next 
door  neighbor  to  Charles  Crain.  The  Foster  house 
became  the  home  of  S.  V.  Kline,  but  "Uncle  Billy' ' 
remained  in  the  neighborhood.  David  Burroughs  lived 
south  of  Foster's  place,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Ridge. 
Mrs.  Jellerson,  widow  of  0.  Jellerson,  was  the  next  neigh- 
bor south;  then  came  Paul  Pratt,  lately  moved  from  his 
log  cabin  at  Leon  Street  and  the  Ridge.  Mr.  Kearney 
shortly  followed  Neighbor  Pratt  and  built  just  south  of 
his  place.  George  W.  Huntoon's  log  cabin  was  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Ridge  Avenue  and  Main  Street,  the 
latter  street  not  named  then.  Alexander  McDaniel  lived 
at  the  northwest  corner  of  Ridge  and  Church  Street.  He 
sold  his  property  to  Julius  White.  Charles  Wilson's 
general  store  was  on  Ridge  Avenue,  north  of  Noyes 
Street.  Anthony  Haskamp  lived  east  of  the  Ridge  and 
north  of  the  present  Central  Street.  Abraham  Snyder's 
house  was  on  Chicago  Avenue,  south  of  Dempster  Street. 
S.  S.  Billings  resided  on  the  corner  of  Ridge  Avenue  and 
Central  Street.  Andrew  Robinson,  John  Spence  and  a 
few  others  were  also  among  the  early  settlers.  David 
Burroughs  was  postmaster  at  this  time,  1854. 

Others  living  within  the  limits  of  Evanston  and 
closely  adjoining  it  were  the  following  men  with  their 
families:  Dr.  John  Evans,  Philo  Judson,  John  L.  Bev- 
eridge,  Dr.  Jacob  Ludlam,  Harvey  B.  Hurd,  Andrew  J. 
Brown,  Professor  Henry  Noyes,  Dr.  Daniel  P.  Kidder, 
Dr.  John  Dempster,  Dr.  Francis  D.  Hemenway  and 
Edwin  A.  Clifford,  practical  pioneers,  religious,  friendly 
and  capable  of  performing  many  and  varied  tasks,  from 
sawing  wood  and  currying  horses,  to  leading  prayer  meet- 
ings and  financing  a  town  and  two  great  institutions  of 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  EVANSTON        241 

learning,  as  Miss  Ward  very  ably  puts  it  in  her  Story 
of  Northwestern  University. 

A  University  student  one  time  seeing  Dr.  Dempster 
hard  at  work  sawing  wood  in  his  back  yard,  immediately 
asked  him  to  saw  some  wood  for  him.  Evidently  Dr. 
Dempster  allowed  himself  to  be  " engaged' '  to  do  the 
work,  as  it  is  recorded  that  the  student  wondered  why 
the  man  he  had  hired  never  put  in  appearance. 

The  Webster,  Pearsons,  Dempster,  Hinman  and 
Nbyes  families  all  hailed  from  Newburg,  Vermont. 
Before  coming  west,  Mrs.  John  A.  Pearsons  had  been 
bridesmaid  to  Miss  Martha  Morse,  when  the  latter 
became  the  wife  of  Dr.  Clark  Titus  Hinman. 

Professor  and  Mrs.  Noyes,  and  child  with  nurse,  had 
landed  in  Evanston  in  a  field  near  a  small  tank  and  found 
shelter  a  mile  up  on  the  other  ridge  (Chicago  Avenue), 
and  lived  the  following  winter  in  a  summer  house,  taking 
in  members  of  the  faculty,  who  would  otherwise  have  had 
to  live  in  Chicago.  Among  these  was  Dr.  Kidder,  with 
his  family. 

John  A.  Pearsons  moved  from  his  log  cabin  on  Hin- 
man Avenue  to  his  new  home  on  Chicago  Avenue  in  1854. 
The  latter  place  was  the  first  house  built  within  the 
platted  limits  of  Evanston.  The  Davis  Street  pier  had 
not  yet  been  built  and  the  lumber  for  the  house  was 
unloaded  directly  on  the  shore.  Mr.  Pearsons  used  the 
old  Hathaway  cabin  as  a  stable.  Philo  Judson  had  built 
his  home  before  this,  but  it  was  outside  the  limits. 
Another  man  to  build  this  year  was  Harvey  B.  Hurd. 
His  home  was  at  1572  Ridge  Avenue. 

During  the  summer  of  1854,  Philo  Judson  negotiated 
for  lumber  to  be  used  in  the  building  of  Dempster  Hall. 


242       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

A  propeller  and  a  schooner,  both  loaded  with  the  lumber, 
arrived  one  Saturday  morning,  and  had  to  be  unloaded 
that  day.  Mr.  Judson  succeeded  in  getting  together  forty- 
five  men,  mostly  farmers,  to  do  the  unloading.  These  men 
would  have  to  be  fed.  There  were  no  cafes  or  cafeterias 
or  pantries  or  grills,  where  the  men  might  get  a  hasty 
lunch  and  run ;  so  that  problem  had  to  be  solved  by  the 
women,  and  solve  it  they  did!  Neither  was  there  a 
butcher  shop  near,  but  Mrs.  Beveridge  says  they  broiled 
and  fried  and  cooked  all  the  morning,  so  it  is  presumed 
many  a  young  broiler  lost  its  head  that  day  to  tickle  the 
palates  of  the  hungry  men. 

At  noon  the  energetic  women  filled  two  or  three 
clothes-baskets  with  food  and  dishes,  put  them  in  a  farm 
wagon  and  drove  to  the  place  where  the  men  were  work- 
ing. All  of  the  men  were  barefoot,  some  were  in  water 
to  their  waists,  others  up  to  their  shoulders.  Plates  and 
food  were  placed  on  the  wet  timber  that  had  been 
unloaded  and  lay  on  the  knoll.  The  hungry  men  came 
out  of  the  water  and  soon  showed  their  keen  appreciation 
of  the  women's  thoughtfulness  and  fine  culinary  ability. 

The  afternoon  wTas  spent  by  the  women  in  preparing 
food  for  the  evening  meal  and  at  six  the  hearts,  and  like- 
wise the  stomachs  of  the  tired  workers  were  gladdened 
by  another  bounteous  spread.  Mrs.  Beveridge  calls  this 
Evanston's  first  picnic. 

Thirty-six  hours  the  men  worked,  stopping  only  long 
enough  to  eat.  One  of  the  main  workers  among  the 
women  was  Mrs.  John  L.  Beveridge,  whose  husband  was 
later  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  she  the 
First  Lady.  Of  such  indomitable  courage  were  the  pio- 
neers of  Evanston  made! 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  EVANS  TON        243 

Davis  Street  was  the  center  of  the  shopping  district, 
even  in  those  early  days.  James  B.  Colvin  had  his  gen- 
eral store  in  Philo  Judson's  building  at  the  northeast 
corner  of  Davis  Street  and  Orrington  Avenue,  facing  on 
Davis  Street.  Here  one  could  buy  almost  anything.  In 
those  days  yards  of  striped  ticking,  gaudy  calicoes  and 
bright  red  flannels  were  draped  conspicuously  around 
the  entrance  of  the  store,  spread  out  on  boxes  on  the 
sidewalk,  and  hung  from  the  open  windows,  There  was 
no  mistaking  what  was  for  sale  within! 

Davis  Street,  at  this  time,  was  unpaved  and  nothing 
more  than  a  wagon  track — an  unworked  country  road. 
The  sidewalk  was  made  of  planks  laid  end  to  end,  placed 
there  by  the  business  men  and  the  residents.  The  Drain- 
age Commission  commenced  work  in  1855,  but  the  streets 
were  in  a  deplorable  condition  for  a  long  time  after  that, 
and  there  were  placards  marked  "No  Bottom,' '  where 
the  mud  was  extra  deep. 

The  ditch  between  the  east  and  west  ridges  had  but 
one  crossing. 

Quite  a  furor  was  created  some  years  later  when 
the  first  sidewalk  was  built,  many  citizens  lamenting  the 
fact  that  the  rural  simplicity  of  Evanston  was  gone 
forever.  This  sidewalk  was  built  by  Colonel  Brainarcl, 
who  had  held  various  offices  and  was  said  to  be  a 
man  of  ability.  He  was  the  brother  of  Mrs.  Lyman  J. 
Gage. 

There  was  a  carpenter  shop  on  the  site  that  is  now 
occupied  by  Chandler's  book  store,  owned  by  a  man 
named  Williams.  In  this  place,  on  a  rude  carpenter 
bench,  was  performed  the  first  operation  in  Evanston. 
A  man  who  had  been  hurt  on  the  railroad  was  hurried 


244       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

into  this  shop  and  had  his  arm  amputated  by  Dr.  Bond, 
while  a  curious  crowd  peered  in  at  the  window. 

James  B.  Colvin  was  called  a  power  in  the  early 
days.  He  was  the  first  store-keeper  and  the  first  town 
clerk,  as  well  as  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  postmaster  during  1854,  and  again 
in  1856.  It  happens  that  he  was  also  the  first  hotel  pro- 
prietor, if  one  may  designate  those  who  preceded  him  as 


Avenue  House 


inn  or  tavern  keepers.  He  built  a  one  and  a  half  story 
house  on  the  site  occupied  at  the  present  time  by  the 
North  Shore  Hotel.  This  early  hotel  was  bought  in  1857 
by  Albert  Danks  and  became  known  as  Danks '  Hotel.  A 
visitor  in  1857  found  every  room  in  the  hotel  taken. 
Danks '  son,  H.  P.  Danks,  composed  the  music  of  the 
famous  song,  Silver  Threads  Among  the  Gold. 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  EVANSTON 


245 


George  W.  Eeynolds  built  his  house  on  Davis  Street, 
near  the  corner  of  Chicago  Avenue.  He  later  bought  the 
Danks'  Hotel,  and  named  it  Reynolds  House.  One  time 
when  there  was  a  neighborhood  gathering  at  his  home, 
the  floor  suddenly  gave  way  and  down  went  a  struggling 
mass  of  humanity  into  the  cellar,  an  episode  that  was 
anything  but  funny  at  the  time  and  nothing  but  funny 


" Round  House"  Built  by  Biblical  Students  in  1856 


ever  afterward,  if  one  were  to  judge  by  the  tales  related 
in  after  years  about  it.  The  same  thing  happened  to  a 
house  belonging  to  George  F.  Foster  on  Chicago  Avenue, 
near  Church  Street. 

In   1863    Seth   A.    Mattison   bought   the   Eeynolds 
House  and  the  name  was  changed  to  Mattison  House. 


246       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

In  1875  Mattison  sold  out  to  Charles  H.  Quinlan,  when 
the  place  became  known  as  the  Avenue  House.  The  Ave- 
nue House  remained  in  the  Quinlan  family  forty  years.  In 
Andreas'  History,  biographical  section,  is  the  following, 
"In  1875,  he  [Charles  H.  Quinlan]  moved  to  Evanston 
and  commenced  building  the  Avenue  House,  completing 
it  in  1882."  Quinlan  probably  remodeled  the  original 
building.  Banquets,  political  meetings  and  celebrations 
of  all  kinds  were  held  in  this  hotel. 

Dr.  Dempster  lived  on  the  lake  shore,  north  of  Simp- 
son Street. 

Dr.  Henry  M.  Bannister  lived  in  one  of  Dr.  Demp- 
ster's small  apartments  at  the  foot  of  Cook  Street. 

The  Round  House,  so  named  on  account  of  its  shape, 
was  built  by  Garrett  Biblical  Institute  students  in  1856, 
of  lumber  washed  ashore  from  wrecked  vessels.  It  was 
moved  later  to  the  east  side  of  Orrington  Avenue,  half 
way  between  Davis  and  Grove  Streets,  and  contained 
eight  rooms,  four  above  and  four  below.  There  were  four 
entrances  and  four  staircases.  The  last  few  years 
before  it  was  demolished,  it  housed  some  of  the  colored 
population. 

At  the  north  end  of  the  campus,  a  small  stream  ran 
in  the  ravine  that  cut  through  to  the  lake.  When  there 
was  a  heavy  rain  this  stream  swelled  to  considerable 
size.  On  one  occasion,  after  a  rain,  it  swept  away  a 
bridge  that  had  been  built  across  it.  The  University  stu- 
dents called  this  stream  or  rivulet  The  Rubicon.  After  a 
few  years  the  ravine  became  a  dumping  ground  and 
finally  disappeared. 

The  old  oak  and  ash  trees  began  to  show  the  result 
of  the  draining  of  the  land,  and  seeing  that  they  could 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  EVANSTON        247 

not  survive  the  change,  Philo  Judson  and  William  P. 
Kimball  had  elm  saplings  brought  from  the  Big  Woods 
and  set  out  along  the  line  of  future  streets.  By  the  time 
the  old  trees  were  gone,  the  new  line  of  elms  had  become 
stately  trees.  Mr.  Kimball,  when  the  young  elms  were 
set  out  along  Hinman  Avenue,  charged  the  residents  to 
water  them,  "not  with  one  or  two  bucketfuls,  but  twenty 
or  more,  for  each  tree,  every  morning."  The  beautiful 
trees  along  Hinman  Avenue  are  proof  of  the  wisdom  of 
his  advice.  It  is  said  that  the  little  trees  at  first  re- 
sembled a  long  line  of  trolley  poles,  bare  of  branches, 
excepting  green  tufts  at  the  tops. 

The  first  fences  in  Evanston  proper  were  made  of 
three  or  four  six-inch  boards,  running  lengthwise  around 
the  lots.  As  new  style  houses  began  to  appear,  property 
owners  decided  the  fences  must  be  kept  in  keeping  with 
the  dwellings  and  picket  fences  came  into  vogue,  made 
like  those  in  eastern  villages,  from  which  a  goodly  pro- 
portion of  the  residents  came. 

The  townspeople  made  and  received  calls,  if  not  in 
the  good  old-fashioned  way,  at  least  in  the  best  way  they 
could.  When  Mrs.  John  L.  Beveridge  returned  Mrs.  John 
A.  Pearsons 9  call,  she  went  in  a  farm  wagon,  resting  her 
feet  on  a  board  to  keep  them  out  of  the  water  when  cross- 
ing between  the  ridges. 

When  the  good-looking  frame  houses  began  to  be 
erected  by  the  University  people,  the  townspeople  felt 
the  University  folk  were  putting  on  airs.  However,  the 
townspeople  soon  saw  that  the  new  residents  were  a 
friendly  lot  of  people,  who  proved  the  fact,  when  they 
took  self-supporting  students  into  their  homes  and 
befriended  them. 


248        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

The  Hand-book  of  Etiquet  for  Ladies,  published  in 
1847  by  Leavitt  and  Allen,  tells  many  interesting  rules 
of  the  day,  and  proves  that  good  manners  are  never 
old-fashioned  and  only  customs  change.  The  whole  book 
seems  to  be  a  treatise  on  the  proper  conduct  of  the  ladies 
toward  the  gentlemen,  as  marriage  was  an  envied  state, 
and  an  unmarried  lady,  in  the  vernacular  of  the  times, 
was  an  old  maid  or  spinster.  The  following  are  excerpts 
from  the  book: 

"Flattery  is  a  powerful  weapon  in  conversation;  all 
are  susceptible  to  it used  skilfully,  never  direct. 

"Laugh  heartily,  when  amused,  but  avoid  the  horse- 
laugh. 

"A  lady's  visiting  card  should  be  of  small  size, 
glazed,  but  not  gilt,  engraved  in  script  letters,  not  in 
German  text  or  Old  English,  nor  printed. 

* '  Never  display  visiting  cards  by  placing  them  in  the 
frame  of  your  looking-glass. 

"The  most  honorable  place  to  offer  a  visitor  is  the 
corner  of  the  fire-place. 

"A  lady's  handkerchief  should  be  as  fine  as  a  snowy 
cobweb,  for  a  ball.  She  should  have  white  gloves  and 
shoes  small  and  perfect  fitting. 

"Let  your  dancing  be  quiet  and  unobtrusive,  your 
movements  characterized  by  elegance  and  gracefulness, 
rather  than  by  activity  and  complexity  of  steps. 

"Silver  forks  are  now  met  with  in  almost  every 
respectable  house.  Steel  forks  are  seldom  placed  upon 
the  dinner  table. 

"Do  not  beat  the  Devil's  tattoo. 

"A  hostess  never  confuses  her  guest  by  apologizing 
for  the  bad  cheer,  which  she  may  offer. 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  EVANSTON        249 

"Women  should  never  play  cards,  unless  they  can 
keep  command  of  their  temper.  She  who  wishes  to  win 
a  heart  or  retain  one  should  never  permit  her  admirers 
to  behold  her  at  cards,  as  the  anxiety  they  produce  is  as 
destructive  to  beauty  as  it  is  to  sentiment." 

How  times  have  changed!  As  this  was  a  Methodist 
community  for  the  most  part,  it  is  assumed  the  rules  in 
regard  to  card  playing  and  dancing  were  not  needed  by 
the  Methodist  adherents. 

Ridgeville  Township  now  had  a  population  of  443. 
The  name  of  the  postoffice  had  been  changed  in  1850  to 
Eidgeville.  Colvin  was  both  postmaster  and  general  store 
keeper.  With  both  the  postoffice  and  the  general  store 
at  one  place,  the  residents  had  the  opportunity  of  fre- 
quent meetings  and  interchange  of  neighborly  gossip  and 
opinions  on  the  big  questions  of  the  day,  especially  the 
slave  question.  Henry  Clay's  Omnibus  Bill  included  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law,  which  was  stirring  up  considerable 
agitation  and  was  bitterly  resented  in  the  northern  states, 
quite  the  reverse  of  what  Clay  expected. 

Henry  Ward  Beecher's  eloquent  sermons  and  lec- 
tures in  the  anti-slavery  cause  were  topics  of  conversa- 
tion the  civilized  world  over,  and  Evanston's  scattered 
citizens  awaited  with  more  or  less  impatience  the  mail 
that  came  but  once  a  week  to  read  the  great  man's  words 
and  get  the  general  news  on  the  momentous  question  of 
the  day,  as  portrayed  in  the  Chicago  and  eastern  papers, 
the  latter  of  which  were  hailed  with  joy  by  many  Evans- 
tonians,  who,  though  loyal  citizens,  welcomed  the  sight 
of  a  home-town  paper. 

The  little  general  store  held  many  an  impromptu 
public  meeting,  as  the  Uncle  Tom  Cabin  serial  revealed 


250        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

much  that  was  hitherto  unknown  on  the  slavery  question, 
and  the  northerners  changed  from  a  state  of  calm  indif- 
ference to  righteous  indignation. 

The  Republican  Party  came  into  existence  during 
this  decade,  at  Jackson,  Michigan.  Its  commemorating 
tablet  reads,  "Here  under  the  Oaks,  July  6,  1854,  was 
born  The  Republican  Party,  destined  in  the  throes  of 
civil  strife  to  abolish  slavery,  vindicate  democracy  and 
perpetuate  the  LTnion."  Dr.  Evans  organized  the  Repub- 
lican Party  in  Illinois,  and  several  other  Democrats 
changed  their  political  views  at  this  time,  as  their  sym- 
pathies agreed  with  the  platform  of  the  Republican  Party, 
in  regard  to  the  slavery  question. 

The  residents  walking  along  the  streets  in  the  fifties 
presented  a  far  different  appearance  to  the  present  day 
residents.  There  was  no  need  for  mad  rush,  and  their 
gait  was  slower,  more  deliberate.  The  members  of  the 
faculty  dressed  much  alike,  long  Prince  Albert  coats  and 
high  silk  hats.  Dr.  Marcy  and  Dr.  Davis,  who  came  in 
the  next  decade,  always  wore  the  spike-tail  coats  or  claw- 
hammers,  as  they  were  called,  and  the  side-board  collars. 
A  gentleman  with  a  shawl  thrown  over  his  shoulders  was 
a  familiar  sight.  At  home  the  gentleman  of  the  house 
wore  a  study-gown. 

A  lady's  attire  consisted  of  a  full  skirt  made  up  of 
many  breadths  of  goods  over  several  stiffly-starched  pet- 
ticoats. The  tight  fitting  waist  tapered  to  wasplike  slend- 
erness  at  the  waist-line.  The  sleeves  were  close  fitting. 
A  little  bonnet  set  well  back  on  the  head,  with  a  drape 
of  soft  material,  a  capacious  cape  for  cool  weather  and 
high  cloth  gaiters  for  the  feet  completed  the  outfit,  with, 
o^  course,  the  proper  gloves  or  lace  mitts,  the  latter  being 


1900 


Early  Fashions 


252       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

made  both  with  and  without  fingers.  A  tiny  parasol  was 
carried  when  walking  or  riding.  The  ladies  were  gentle 
and  dignified  and  gracefully  deliberate.  Perhaps  in  the 
outfit  of  the  day,  one  could  be  nought  else,  and  how  any 
young  woman  in  such  a  garb  could  trip  the  light  fantastic 
toe  will  ever  remain  a  puzzle  to  the  latter  day  maids. 

The  boys  between  the  ages  of  ten  and  twelve  wore 
box  coats  and  long  trousers,  similar  to  the  1926  style. 

The  small  girls  wTore  dresses  reaching  half  way 
between  knee  and  ankle. 

Candles  were  still  used,  but  kerosene  lamps  began 
to  replace  them  about  1857. (1)  The  ladies  usually  cared 
for  their  lamps,  not  wishing  to  trust  the  hired  girl  with 
anything  as  dangerous  as  a  kerosene  lamp  was  supposed 
to  be,  fearing  an  explosion. 

Coal  was  beginning  to  replace  wood  in  the  stoves  and 
a  housewife  accustomed  to  the  clean  wood,  looked  rue- 
fully at  her  soot-begrimed  hands,  after  replenishing  the 
fire. 

The  lighting  proposition  for  the  village  was  a  serious 
one,  as  the  residents  had  bought  large  lots  and  built  their 
houses  well  within  their  property  lines,  and  lighting  in 
a  satisfactory  manner  would  be  too  expensive,  so  only 
here  and  there  could  be  placed  a  street  lamp.  These 
street  lamps,  flickering  and  smoky  though  they  were, 
were  real  oases  in  a  desert,  welcome  guides  to  the  weary 
way-farer  on  his  road  home,  which  road  was  mostly  ruts 

(1)  Petroleum  was  valued  by  the  Indians  as  early  as  the  first  part  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  They  collected  it  on  the  shores  of  Seneca  Lake  and  sold  it  as 
a  medicine,  calling  it  Seneca  Oil  or  Genesee.  Great  ceremonies  were  held  by  them 
on  the  banks  of  Venango  County  Creek,  at  which  time  they  fired  the  scum  of  oil 
on  the  surface  of  the  water.  Dr.  Hildreth  speaks  of  this  oil  in  his  Journal  of 
Science  in  1826,  as  being  used  in  lamps  in  workshops  and  producing  a  clear, 
bright  light.  Previous  to  1857,  the  oil  was  obtained  by  soaking  blankets  in  it 
and  wringing  it  from  them.  In  1857,  it  was  discovered  oil  could  be  obtained  by 
boring,  after  which  time  it  came  into  general  use.  The  oil  used  in  lamps  sold  for 
$1.50  per  gallon. 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  EVANSTON 


253 


and  mud  and  mire,  and  the  next  street  lamp  was 
always  so  far  away,  that  it  looked  not  unlike  a  dim, 
distant  star. 

After  the  wreck  of  the  Lady  Elgin,(2)  it  was  thought 
wise  to  establish  a  coast  guard  station  in  Evanston. 
This  disaster  occurred  September  8,  1860,  and  caused  the 
loss  of  nearly  three  hundred  lives.    About  three  o'clock 


Captain  Lawrence  0.  Lawson  (Inset) 
Coast  Guard  Station 


in  the  morning  of  that  fatal  day,  the  Lady  Elgin,  a  side- 
wheeler  steamer,  and  the  largest  and  finest  passenger 
vessel  on  the  lake,  while  carrying  an  excursion  party  on 
a  sight  seeing  trip  for  the  day,  suddenly  collided  with 


(2)  The  ball  from  the  forward  flagstaff  of  the  Lady  Elgin  may  be  seen  at 
the  Evanston  Historical  rooms.  It  was  presented  to  the  Historical  Society  by  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  Mrs.  McLean,  who  found  it  among  the  wreckage  washed 
ashore.  The  plush  hand-rail  and  ornament  from  the  top  of  flagstaff  are  also  in  the 
Historical  rooms. 


254        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

the  lumber  schooner  Augusta.  On  board  were  393  per- 
sons, including  the  forty-five  men  belonging  to  the  ship's 
crew.  A  hundred  head  of  cattle  had  been  taken  on  at 
Chicago  to  be  delivered  at  points  north.  The  captain  of 
the  Lady  Elgin  had  felt  no  uneasiness  in  starting  out  in 
the  face  of  a  northeaster,  on  account  of  the  staunchness 
of  his  craft.  The  young  people  engaged  in  dancing  and 
games,  and  the  band  played  its  merriest  tunes  as  the 
boat  glided  out  of  the  harbor  into  the  open  lake.  About 
three  miles  from  the  shore  at  Highland  Park,  the 
Augusta,  driven  before  a  strong  wind,  struck  the  Lady 
Elgin,  her  bowsprit  penetrating  the  wooden  hull  of  the 
steamer.  Lady  Elgin's  captain,  thinking  no  serious 
damage  had  been  done  to  his  boat,  refused  help  from  the 
schooner,  but  within  half  an  hour  the  fires  were  out,  and 
the  captain  and  passengers  realized  their  danger  and 
began  to  look  around  for  means  to  save  their  lives.  The 
captain  ordered  all  on  board  to  go  on  the  hurricane  deck, 
in  the  hope  that  it  would  carry  its  human  load  to  safety 
when  it  separated  from  the  main  part  of  the  boat,  but 
the  deck  was  dashed  to  pieces  the  instant  it  reached  the 
breakers  and  the  unfortunate  victims  were  left  struggling 
in  the  raging  sea.  The  cattle  had  been  driven  from  the 
lower  deck  into  the  water,  in  order  to  lighten  the  cargo. 
In  desperation  many  persons  mounted  the  backs  of  the 
swimming  cattle,  hoping  to  reach  shore  in  this  manner. 
The  strong  wind  had  driven  the  boat  south  toward  Evans- 
ton,  where,  before  daylight  came,  hundreds  of  persons 
lined  the  shore,  anxious  to  render  any  assistance  possible. 
Several  students  taking  an  early  morning  walk  were 
heroes  of  the  day.  Among  these  were  Edward  W.  and 
William  Spencer,  two  brothers  who  had  learned  the  art 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  EVANSTON        255 

of  strong  swimming  in  the  Mississippi  River,  James  0. 
Cramb,  John  B.  Colvin,  George  Wilson,  John  0.  Foster, 
Henry  M.  Kidder,  W.  B.  Friggell,  J.  C.  Garrison,  W.  T. 
Harrington,  Charles  H.  Fowler,  B.  D.  Alden  and  G.  R. 
Van  Horn.  Fowler  and  Cramb  were  later  bishops  of  the 
Methodist  church.  Again  and  again  Edward  W.  Spencer 
dashed  into  the  raging  waters,  bringing  back  another 
and  yet  another  of  the  ill-fated  boat's  passengers.  Sev- 
enteen times  he  braved  the  angry  waves,  and  seventeen 
times  he  came  back  with  his  human  load.  Once  he  was 
seen  throwing  off  the  safety  rope  that  impeded  his  prog- 
ress. Then  exhausted  and  giving  up  only  when  he  could 
do  no  more,  he  accepted  medical  attention  for  himself. 
His  health  was  that  day  wrecked,  and  he  had  to  abandon 
the  hope  of  the  clerical  vocation  he  had  chosen.  As  a 
small  token  of  their  great  appreciation  of  his  noble  work, 
the  citizens  of  Evanston  presented  him  with  a  gold  watch. 
In  the  Patten  Gymnasium  a  bronze  tablet,  given  by  the 
class  of  1898,  commemorates  his  noble  work  of  that  day.(3) 
Two  weeks  after  the  wreck  a  man  was  found  lashed  to  a 
spar,  and  was  revived. 

As  a  result  of  the  valuable  assistance  given  by  the 
students  at  the  time  of  the  Lady  Elgin  wreck,  a  volunteer 
life-saving  crew  of  five  men  from  the  senior  class  of 
Liberal  Arts  was  organized  in  October,  1872.  In  this  first 
crew  were  George  Lunt,  George  Bragdon  and  M.  D.  Kim- 
ball. A  fine  life-boat  was  presented  to  Dr.  E.  0.  Haven 
by  Commodore  Murray,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  United 
States  life-saving  service.  This  boat  was  to  be  committed 
to  the  care  of  the  volunteer  crew.  In  September,  1876, 
the  students  petitioned  that  the  members  of  the  crew  be 

(3)      Spencer  died  in  California  in  February,  1919,  never  having  fully  regained 
his  health. 


256        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

selected  for  the  best  physical  and  moral  qualifications, 
irrespective  of  classes.  The  petition  was  granted  and  an 
experienced  seaman  was  engaged  by  the  government  to 
captain  the  crew.  In  April,  1877,  E.  J.  Bickness,  of  the 
class  of  1877,  was  appointed  captain  of  the  crew  of  stu- 
dents, who  were  to  receive  forty  dollars  a  month  each 
during  the  season,  and  three  dollars  for  each  trip  at  the 
time  of  a  wreck.  At  first  the  life-boat  was  housed  on  the 
beach  in  a  temporary  building.  In  1876,  it  was  moved  to 
the  eastern  part  of  the  present  structure,  which  occupied 
the  site  of  Fisk  Hall.  It  was  moved  to  its  present  site  on 
newly-made  land  near  the  water's  edge  previous  to  the 
building  of  Fisk  Hall  in  1899. 

To  the  credit  of  the  life-saving  crew  is  the  saving  of 
over  400  lives,  and  property  amounting  to  millions  of  dol- 
lars in  value.  Captain  Lawrence  0.  Lawson,  a  native  of 
Sweden,  who  came  to  Evanston  in  1864,  was  appointed 
captain  of  the  crew  of  1880,  and  did  noble  work  for 
twenty-three  years.  In  the  rescue  of  the  Steamer  Calu- 
met, stranded  1,000  yards  from  shore,  Captain  Lawson 
and  his  crew  displayed  such  fine  bravery  that  the  United 
States  government  awarded  each  man  a  gold  medal.  In 
Hurd's  History  Professor  J.  Scott  Clark  says  of  Captain 
Lawson,  "In  addition  to  his  services  in  aiding  to  save 
nearly  five  hundred  lives,  Captain  Lawson  originated  the 
system  of  righting  the  Beebe-McClellan  surf -boat,  which 
has  since  been  adopted  by  the  Government  for  use  by  all 
the  crews  of  the  service. ' '  On  March  10,  1864,  when  the 
Steamer  Storm  was  wrecked,  J.  C.  Hartzell  (later  a 
bishop  of  the  Methodist  church)  saved  four  exhausted 
sailors  from  drowning  by  swimming  out  to  them  with  a 
rope  around  his  waist. 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  EVANSTON        257 

Eeturning  to  every  day  life,  we  find  a  very  important 
visitor  came  to  Evanston  and  stayed  overnight,  one  who, 
though  already  well-known,  was  soon  to  become  a  national 
figure,  Abraham  Lincoln.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  in  Chicago 
attending  a  law  trial,  when  Julius  White,  an  old  friend, 
invited  him  to  be  his  guest  While  in  Chicago,  Mr.  Lincoln 
had  been  sitting  for  his  bust.  After  receiving  Mr.  White's 
invitation,  he  told  the  sculptor  that  he  would  rather  not 
accept,  as  he  knew  he  would  meet  a  lot  of  University 
professors.  Mr.  White,  however,  would  not  consent  to 
his  staying  away.  Harvey  B.  Hurd  was  given  the  honor 
of  accompanying  him  out  on  the  train  and  he  describes 
him  by  quoting  another  man's  words,  "Not  that  he  knew 
it  all  and  that  I  knew  little  or  nothing,  but  that  he  and  I 
were  two  good  fellows  well  met  and  that  between  us  we 
knew  lots."  In  the  evening  a  great  crowd  gathered, 
carrying  lighted  torches,  and  serenaded  the  noted  man 
with  tin  pans  and  horns.  Mr.  Lincoln  came  out  and 
addressed  the  people  assembled  on  the  lawn.  Mr.  White 
then  invited  them  all  in  to  meet  his  guest,  who  gave  each 
a  friendly  greeting  and  a  cordial  handshake.  A  quartette 
sang  a  group  of  songs  which  particularly  pleased  Mr. 
Lincoln,  who  laid  his  arm  across  the  shoulders  of  C.  G. 
Ayers,  the  leader,  and  said,  "Young  Man,  I  wish  I  could 
sing  as  well  as  you.  Unfortunately,  I  know  only  two 
tunes.  One  is  Old  Hundred  and  the  other  isn't."  Mr. 
Henry  Pearsons  remembered  the  cheerful  speech  and  apt 
words  of  his  address,  the  exceeding  tallness  of  the  man 
and  the  awkward  way  he  had  of  turning  one  way  or  the 
other  and  bending  his  knees  a  little,  when  emphasizing 
a  point,  or  coming  to  a  climax.  About  this  time,  Alex- 
ander Hesler,  who  had  a  studio  on  Sherman  Avenue, 

17 


258       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

took  a  number  of  photographs  of  Lincoln,  which  are 
among  the  best  of  the  Lincoln  pictures.  Some  of  these 
are  at  the  Evanston  Historical  rooms  with  the  Hesler 
papers,  and  they  show  him  without  a  beard.  The  story 
is  told  that  a  little  girl  sitting  on  Mr.  Lincoln's  lap  said 
she  would  like  to  see  how  he  would  look  with  a  beard. 
He  said  he  would  show  her.  This  was  in  1860  or  1861. 
He  wore  a  beard  only  about  five  years,  but  his  pictures 
with  a  beard  seem  to  be  the  best  known  ones. 

Watson  Ludlam,  son  of  one  of  the  pioneers,  Dr. 
Jacob  Ludlam,  was  conceded  to  be  the  tallest  man  in 
Evanston.  He  and  Lincoln  were  found  to  be  exactly  the 
same  height,  six  feet,  four  inches.  When  President  Lin- 
coln was  visiting  an  encampment  of  troops  during  the 
civil  war,  he  saw  and  recognized  Ludlam,  and  invited 
him  to  the  White  House  to  sing  some  of  the  songs  he  had 
heard  him  sing,  and  which  he  had  so  much  enjoyed  dur- 
ing his  stay  in  Evanston. 

Evanston,  though  refusing  a  city  charter  in  1869, 
had  become  a  village  of  real  importance,  spreading  out 
and  gaining  new  inhabitants  each  year,  with  a  university 
well  attended.  No  longer  was  Evanston  a  home  for  wild 
animals,  as  the  increasing  number  of  residents  interfered 
with  the  raising  of  their  families  in  peace  within  the  vil- 
lage limits.  The  old  log  school  house  no  longer  served 
its  original  purpose,  but  had  been  turned  into  a  dwell- 
ing house,  and  was  being  occupied  by  Mancer  Thomp- 
son, brother-in-law  of  Mrs.  Alexander  McDaniel. 
Among  the  marriages  were  those  of  Joel  Stebbins  and 
Euth  Colvin,  George  Monteath  and  Betsy  Ann  Snyder, 
George  Kearney  and  the  daughter  of  Uncle  Billy 
Foster. 


EARLY  DAYS  OF  EVANSTON        259 

The  State  Fair  that  lured  many  from  Evanston  each 
fall  raised  its  price  of  admission  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty  cents. 

Bishop  Simpson,  the  great  emotional  speaker,  whose 
oratorical  powers  helped  so  vitally  to  lengthen  the 
muster  roll  in  1861,  made  a  trip  to  California,  and  on  his. 
return  half  the  town  turned  out  to  meet  the  beloved 
preacher,  headed  by  a  group  of  young  people  carrying 
the  old  melodeon  and  singing,  "Home  again,  Home 
again,  From  a  foreign  shore." 

The  University  students  continued  to  play  their 
pranks.  They  thought  the  one  they  played  on  Dr.  Weller, 
the  first  physician  in  Evanston,  was  as  good  as  any.  A 
group  of  jokers  led  a  cow  up  the  steps  of  the  good  old 
doctor's  porch  and  tied  her  tail  to  the  doorbell.  A  door- 
bell in  those  days  was  attached  to  a  spring  with  a  wire 
Leading  through  the  house  to  the  front  door.  The  con- 
stant jangling  of  the  bell  almost  drove  the  doctor  mad, 
before  he  could  make  himself  presentable,  but  he  im- 
mediately saw  the  humor  of  the  situation  when  he  opened 
the  door. 

One  Simon  Peter  Douthit  fell  through  the  roof  of  the 
Methodist  church,  while  trying  to  play  a  practical  joke 
on  the  congregation.  The  records  do  not  say  whether 
he  was  of  the  Town  or  Gown  group. 

Of  a  more  serious  turn  of  mind  was  "Uncle"  Mark 
DeCoudries,  a  devout  Methodist,  who  at  the  age  of  ninety 
years,  it  is  said, i  i  shingled  his  home  with  his  own  hands ' ' 
in  order  to  contribute  $100  to  African  Missions. 

The  postmasters  who  were  appointed  from  the  earli- 
est days  up  to  1870  were  as  follows :  George  M.  Huntoon, 
with  postomce   at   Mulford's   Tavern,   1846;   David  W. 


260        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Burroughs,  Buckeye  Hotel,  1849 ;  D.  W.  Burroughs,  1850 ; 
James  B.  Colvin,  1854,  office  at  Orrington  Avenue  and 
Davis  Street ;  Dr.  Jacob  Ludlam,  1855 ;  James  B.  Colvin, 
1855;  Fayette  M.  Weller,  1857;  Webster  S.  Steele,  1861; 
Edwin  A.  Clifford,  1865.  According  to  a  letter  on  file  at 
the  Evanston  Historical  rooms  to  J.  Seymour  Currey, 
from  Blain  W.  Taylor,  Postoffice  Department,  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  the  postoffice  at  Gross  Point  was  established 
December  28,  1846.  The  name  was  changed  to  Ridge- 
ville,  April  26,  1850.  The  name  Ridgeville  was  changed 
to  Evanston,  April  27, 1855. 

The  village  of  Evanston  was  soon  to  see  a  change. 
The  peaceful,  little  place  was  to  see  an  influx  of  another 
element,  and  was  to  take  on  more  citified  ways  because 
of  it.  The  great  Chicago  fire  of  October  9,  1871,  caused 
the  citizens  of  Evanston  to  open  their  hearts  and  their 
homes  to  -the  homeless,  and  never  again  would  theirs  be 
the  quiet,  rural  place  of  former  days.  There  was  to  be 
a  quickening  of  the  pulse,  and  the  beginning  of  civic 
activities  that  would  continue  through  all  the  years  to 
come. 

In  ten  years  the  population  of  Evanston  more  than 
tripled  itself,  being  831  in  1860,  and  3,062  in  1870,  accord- 
ing to  the  Atlas  of  Illinois. 


Chapter  XIV 
CHURCHES 

TOLERANCE  is  and  always  has  been  the  key-note  of 
harmony  in  Evanston's  religious  life,  and  it  began 
back  in  the  thirties  and  the  forties  with  the  first  pioneers, 
Edward  Mulford,  a  deacon  in  the  Baptist  church;  the 
Fosters,  the  Burroughs,  the  Pratts,  also  Baptists;  the 
Murphys  and  the  Carneys,  Catholics;  the  Grains,  the 
Wigglesworths  and  the  Huntoons,  of  Methodist  persua- 
sion. The  Baptists  and  Methodists  and  Presbyterians 
knelt  side  by  side  in  the  meeting-house  and  continued  to 
do  so  until  each  denomination  had  its  own  home  roof. 
Before  the  meeting-house,  or  to  be  more  specific,  the  log 
school  house  on  the  Ridge,  was  built,  the  religiously 
inclined — and  there  were  few  who  were  not — met  at  the 
various  homes  on  Sundays  and  held  church  services. 

After  the  log  school  house  was  erected,  which  was 
about  1841,  the  services  were  conducted  in  it  by  circuit 
riders,  as  the  visiting  preachers  were  called,  who  came 
every  two  weeks,  and  sometimes  not  so  frequently. 

Mrs.  John  L.  Beveridge  speaks  of  attending  services 
there  one  Sunday  in  1854,  at  which  time  all  the  women 
were  dressed  in  " primitive  style,"  calico  dresses,  and 
large  sun-bonnets  on  their  heads,  she  and  her  mother, 
Mrs.  Philo  Judson,  being  the  only  ones  wearing  dress- 
bonnets  such  as  ladies  wore  at  the  time.  There  were 
fourteen  that  day  in  the  congregation.  She  says  of  the 
preacher,  the  Reverend  John  G.  Johnson,  "He  was  a  tall, 


262        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

lank  individual,  dressed  in  dark  blue  cotton  overalls,  with 
large  patches  of  new  cloth  on  each  knee,  while  the  rest 
of  the  cloth  had  been  washed  until  it  was  almost  white. 
He  always  carried  a  big  blue  umbrella,  bulged  in  the 
center. ' ' 

Long  before  the  time  set  for  the  services  to  begin, 
farm  wagons  had  arrived  from  up  and  down  the  Eidge 
and  from  the  other  Ridge  (Chicago  Avenue),  across  the 
slough,  and  their  occupants  had  solemnly  and  reverently 
entered  the  House  of  Prayer.  Not  till  a  later  day  did 
late-comers  interrupt  the  services  by  their  tardy  appear- 
ance. The  settlers  were  early  risers  and  always  allowed 
themselves  sufficient  time  to  reach  their  destination  early. 
At  the  front  of  the  room,  near  the  preacher  was  the 
"Amen  Corner, "  and  here  the  patriarchs  echoed  their 
"Amens"  again  and  again,  as  the  preacher  uttered  some 
great  truth  or  voiced  an  approved  sentiment.  There  was 
wholesomeness  and  sincerity  in  the  singing  of  the  congre- 
gation, and  none  was  too  proud  to  bend  his  knee  as  well 
as  bow  his  head  during  the  long,  and  sometimes  tedious, 
prayer.  The  sermons  were  of  greater  length  than  those 
of  the  latter  days,  but  being  infrequent,  this  was  justi- 
fiable. 

Then  when  the  services  were  finished,  came  the 
kindly  greetings  with  glad  handclasps,  friendly  smiles, 
and  the  happy  exchange  of  neighborly  gossip.  A  few 
slowly  turned  their  steps  toward  the  little  burying-ground 
to  the  rear  of  the  church,  to  linger  a  moment  over  grassy 
mounds  beneath  which  lay  all  that  was  mortal  of  loved 
ones. 

Untying  their  horses  from  the  fence,  snapping  the 
reins,  and  cheerily  calling,  "Giddap,"  the  members  of 


CHURCHES  263 

the  congregation  drove  away  to  their  respective  homes, 
there  to  partake  of  the  usual  sumptuous  Sunday  dinner, 
which  in  most  cases,  especially  with  the  New  Englanders, 
had  been  prepared  the  day  before,  that  work  might  not 
desecrate  the  Holy  Sabbath  Day.  The  afternoon  was 
spent  in  serious,  though  pleasant  reading,  music  and 
visiting,  and  at  candle-light,  the  Bible  was  opened  and  a 
chapter  read  therefrom  by  the  head  of  the  house,  after 
which  all  knelt  in  prayer  of  gratitude  and  thanksgiving. 
Sunday  was  to  them  a  real  day  of  rest;  a  day  wherein 
their  souls  were  uplifted  and  their  hearts  lightened;  a 
day  that  strengthened  their  courage  and  braced  their 
shoulders  for  burdens  sure  to  come;  a  day  that 
brought  a  complete  and  needed  change  for  both  mind 
and  body. 

The  first  quarterly  conference  for  Evanston  was  held 
July  13,  1854,  in  the  little  log  school  house  on  the  Ridge. 
Those  present  were  the  Eeverends  Philo  Judson  and 
J.  G.  Johnson,  traveling  preachers,  George  W.  Huntoon, 
class  leader,  James  B.  Colvin,  John  L.  Beveridge  and 
A.  Danks,  stewards,  and  Abraham  Wigglesworth,  Sun- 
day School  Superintendent, 

The  first  Sunday  School  was  started  in  the  old  Mul- 
ford  house  and  afterward  moved  to  the  log  school  house. 
Mrs.  Edward  Mulford  had  brought  a  collection  of  fifty 
books  with  her  from  the  east.  These  she  presented  to  the 
Sunday  School.  Soon  afterward  the  church  maintained 
three  Sunday  Schools,  one  within  the  village  plat,  under 
John  L.  Beveridge,  one  in  the  old  log  school  house  in 
the  Huntoon  District,  under  A.  Danks,  and  another  on 
the  North  Eidge,  Stebbins  District,  under  A.  Wiggles- 
worth. 


264       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

As  the  University  drew  more  people  to  Evanston, 
there  was  need  of  a  more  central  place  of  worship  than 
the  log  school  house,  and  the  chapel  of  the  first  building 
of  Garrett  Biblical  Institute — Dempster  Hall — was  used 
from  January,  1855,  to  about  May,  1855,  when  the  serv- 
ices were  held  in  a  room  over  Colvin's  store  at  the  corner 
of  Orrington  Avenue  and  Davis  Street.  Philo  Judson, 
who  owned  the  building,  had  remodeled  the  room,  fur- 
nished it  to  accommodate  forty  persons,  and  given  it  rent 
free  to  the  church  people.  In  November,  1855,  the  church 
services  were  transferred  to  the  University  building  just 
completed  and  dedicated. 

The  Colvin  store  building,  the  one-time  church  home, 
was  moved  back  of  its  original  site  and  Garwood's  drug 
store  occupied  the  original  site.  On  its  new  site  the  old 
building  housed  a  barber  shop,  and  was  later  moved  to 
Ashland  Avenue. 

There  is  record  of  much  moving  of  buildings  in  those 
days.  There  seemed  to  be  a  full  appreciation  of  the 
labor  spent  in  the  erecting  of  a  building,  and  instead  of 
tearing  one  down  that  the  site  might  be  used  to  better 
advantage,  it  was  moved  to  cheaper  ground  and  some- 
times utilized  for  a  different  purpose,  the  church  build- 
ings being  the  exception. 

In  September,  1855,  the  Reverend  John  Sinclair  was 
appointed  preacher  in  charge.  Professor  P.  W.  Wright 
of  the  Institute  preached  during  the  time  the  church  serv- 
ices were  held  in  the  Institute  Chapel. 

The  members  of  the  young  church  now  began  to  feel 
the  need  of  having  a  roof-tree  of  their  own.  Accord- 
ingly, the  first  church  building  within  the  Evanston  plat 
was  erected  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Church  Street  and 


Old  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 


First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  Completed  in  1872 


266        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Orrington  Avenue  in  1856,  at  a  cost  of  $2,800.  This  was 
the  first  community  church  in  Evanston,  composed  of  all 
denominations,  though  under  Methodist  control.  A  bronze 
tablet  on  the  Public  Library  grounds  commemorates  this 
modest  little  edifice — yea,  more,  the  tablet  marks  the  very 
site  of  the  pulpit,  where,  at  various  times,  stood  some  of 
the  best  known  preachers  as  well  as  the  finest  orators  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  to  expound  the  teachings  of  the 
Bible  to  an  appreciative  congregation.  Among  these 
preachers  were  A.  L.  Cooper,  Charles  P.  Bragdon,  J.  E. 
Goodrich,  0.  H.  Tiffany,  D.  D.,  Miner  Eaymond,  W.  C. 
Dandy,  James  Baume.  In  1867,  during  the  Eeverend  Mr. 
Dandy's  pastorate,  plans  were  discussed  for  a  new 
church,  and  the  location  decided  upon  was  the  southwest 
corner  of  Hinman  Avenue  and  Church  Street. 

The  " straight  and  narrow  path"  of  the  early  day 
Methodists  was  decidedly  straight  and  exceedingly  nar- 
row. Cases  of  non-attendance  at  class  meetings  were 
reported  and  investigating  committees  were  appointed 
"to  labor  with  the  delinquent. ' '  Questionable  business 
dealings  of  certain  members  were  looked  into  and  the 
report  fully  set  out.  One  gentleman  and  his  wife  were 
expelled  from  church  for  not  attending  a  class  meeting. 
A  young  man  and  a  young  lady  were  deemed  disorderly, 
for  having  danced  at  a  picnic.  They  were  asked  to 
acknowledge  their  fault  and  not  repeat  the  offense. 

In  the  old  record  books  in  the  basement  of  the  pres- 
ent Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  many  interesting  things 
came  to  light  in  regard  to  the  Sunday  School.  A  line  on 
the  record  sheet  held  the  weather  report  of  the  day. 
There  was  a  noticeable  increase  in  attendance  as  Christ- 
mas approached,  and  a  proportionate  falling  away  after- 


CHURCHES  267 

ward.  At  one  time  in  1857,  Superintendent  F.  H.  Benson 
felt  so  discouraged  at  the  small  attendance  at  Sunday 
School,  that  he  announced  his  intention  of  resigning,  but 
subsequent  record  sheets  show  he  changed  his  mind. 

The  infant  classes  were  given  poetical  names.  Miss 
Mary  Bannister  on  March  27,  1859,  took  over  part  of  the 
infant  class,  which  was  called  "The  Casket  of  Jewels," 
and  named  her  part  of  the  class  "Little  Pilgrims. "  Mrs. 
Clough  was  teacher  of  "The  Sparkling  Gems' '  in  1860. 

John  L.  Beveridge  was  class  leader  in  1859,  and 
George  Eeynolds  in  1872.  Other  class  leaders  were  L. 
Clifford,  John  Fussy,  P.  Judson,  A.  C.  Stewart,  I.  Smith, 
H.  S.  Noyes,  William  Triggs,  A.  Vane,  F.  H.  Benson,  S. 
Springer,  and  J.  W.  Clough. 

The  little  white  church  with  its  green  shutters,  its 
papered  walls  and  plain  furnishings,  served  the  Metho- 
dist congregation  for  sixteen  years,  after  which  time  it 
lent  its  friendly  shelter  more  than  once  to  other  denom- 
inations. It  was  removed  in  1881  to  Church  Street  and 
Sherman  Avenue  to  become  the  Norwegian-Danish 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In  1900  it  was  torn  down 
after  an  existence  of  nearly  half  a  century. 

The  liberality  of  Northwestern  University  showed 
itself  in  donating  sites  for  the  churches  of  five  denomina- 
tions, beginning  with  a  lot  for  the  new  Methodist  church 
building.  The  Presbyterians,  the  Congregationalists,  the 
Episcopalians,  and  the  Baptists  were  equally  favored. 

While  the  Reverend  M.  C.  Briggs  was  in  charge,  the 
new  church  was  finished  and  dedicated,  the  cost  of  it 
being  nearly  $69,000.    The  organ  cost  $4,500. 

In  the  history  of  every  church  the  women's  work 
stands    out    conspicuously.     Festivals,    harvest    homes, 


268        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

concerts  and  even  a  restaurant  in  the  University  Grove 
one  Fourth  of  July,  conducted  by  the  women  of  the 
church,  helped  pay  off  what  was  beginning  to  be  looked 
upon  as  an  everlasting  debt.  Mrs.  Marcy  (spoken  of  as 
Mrs.  Dr.  Marcy  in  the  early  histories),  was  chairman  of 
the  committee  of  women  on  the  "church  debt."  Unceas- 
ingly and  tirelessly  did  these  women  work,  with  the  result 
that  they  paid  off  $10,000  of  the  church  debt  and  the  trus- 
tees paid  off  the  balance,  $18,000,  and  the  church  was  saved 
from  being  sold  under  the  hammer.  Frances  Willard 
pledged  $100  toward  the  payment  of  the  church  debt  when, 
she  says,  she  had  not  one  cent  in  her  pocket,  nor  had  she 
any  idea  where  she  would  get  any  money.  The  following 
week,  she  received  an  invitation  to  give  a  lecture  at  Pitts- 
burgh, Pennsylvania,  for  that  very  sum.  Her  fare  was 
paid  to  and  from  Pittsburgh,  and  she  was  able  to  give 
her  check  for  the  amount  pledged  within  ten  days  to  the 
treasurer  of  the  church. 

Miss  "Willard  presented  the  diplomas  to  the  five 
"sweet  girl  graduates' '  at  the  only  commencement  the 
Evanston  College  for  Ladies  ever  held,  as  this  college 
was  later  merged  in  the  University.  These  exercises  were 
held  in  the  basement  of  the  unfinished  church,  June,  1872. 

The  first  gathering  in  the  church  proper  was  a  fare- 
well to  Dr.  Kidder  and  his  family  in  the  lecture  room, 
which  was  just  finished,  August,  1872. 

In  the  auditorium  of  the  church,  the  largest  in 
Evanston  for  a  number  of  years,  such  noted  persons  as 
Edward  Eggleston,  Wendell  Phillips,  Henry  Ward 
Beecher,  General  Lew  Wallace,  James  Whitcomb  Eiley, 
Henry  M.  Stanley,  Edward  Everett  Hale,  and  Frances 
E.  Willard  have  talked  to  crowded  houses. 


Bishop  Matthew  Simpson 


The  Reverend  E.  D. 
Wheadon 


The  Reverend  George  C. 
Noyes 


The  Reverend  Robert  M. 
Hatfield 


270       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

T.  C.  Hoag,  banker  and  grocer  in  the  village,  became 
church  treasurer  in  1858,  and  continued  in  that  capacity 
for  nearly  forty  years. 

In  1875  came  the  Reverend  J.  B.  Wentworth,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Reverend  R.  M.  Hatfield,  whose  fame  as  a 
minister  had  preceded  him.  The  Reverend  Amos  W. 
Patten  served  from  1880  to  1883,  when  the  Reverend 
Lewis  Curts  took  charge.  Later  pastors  were  Dr.  H.  B. 
Ridgaway,  S.  F.  Jones,  D.D.,  Charles  J.  Little,  President 
of  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  Acting  Pastor,  the  Reverend 
Frank  Bristol,  D.D.,  who  remained  nearly  five  years, 
Charles  Little  again,  and  William  Macafee,  D.D.  The 
new  $12,500  organ  was  completed  January,  1901. 

The  history  of  the  DesPlaines  Camp  meeting  has 
always  been  so  closely  connected  with  Evanston  history 
as  to  be  almost  a  part  of  it.  The  first  camp  meeting  was 
held  in  August,  1860,  on  Squire  Rand's  farm,  across  the 
railroad  from  its  present  site,  a  thirty-five  acre  plot, 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  village  of  DesPlaines 
to  which  place  it  was  moved  after  fi.ve  years  in  its  first 
location. 

Camp  meeting  week  was  a  time  to  be  looked  forward 
to  with  keen  anticipation.  Farmers  drove  to  camp  from 
a  radius  of  a  hundred  miles,  their  wagons  laden  with 
household  goods,  while  the  members  of  the  family 
perched  themselves  within  wherever  there  was  available 
space,  arriving  several  days  before  the  opening  date,  that 
the  housekeeping  wheels  might  be  running  smoothly  be- 
fore that  time.  Joyful  occasions,  those  drives,  with  the 
hymn  singing  and  general  good  cheer ! 

The  cottages  and  tents  surrounded  the  circle,  enclos- 
ing the  meeting-house,  which  was  a  rude  board  building 


CHURCHES  271 

with  earth  floor  and  no  roof.  The  cottages  were  small 
one-room-and-porch  shacks.  There  were  also  a  number 
of  tents  on  the  grounds.  Kerosene  lamps  furnished  the 
illumination  at  night. 

A  lake  captain  living  in  Evanston  whose  name  was 
Lindgren,  used  one  of  his  sails  to  erect  a  tent  on  the 
grounds  for  the  first  Swedish  Methodist  services. 

Elder  Boring  called  the  members  to  worship  with 
a  loud  blast  from  his  horn,  which  reached  grove  and 
riverside. 

BAPTIST 

The  Baptists,  after  having  worshiped  with  the 
Methodists  for  more  than  a  decade,  decided  to  launch 
their  little  craft.  It  had  a  hard  pull  and  more  than  once  it 
had  to  drop  anchor  and  stop  awhile,  but  there  were  pilots 
with  great  faith  and  strength  of  purpose;  so  the  stops 
were  of  short  duration  and  at  last  it  was  out  in  clear 
waters  and  its  sailing  had  become  smooth. 

The  first  meeting  to  form  a  Baptist  Church  was  held 
in  the  chapel  of  Northwestern  University  April  24,  1858. 
E.  H.  Mulford  was  elected  moderator  and  Moses  Danby, 
clerk.  The  church  was  to  have  the  name  of  "The 
Evanston  Baptist  Church.' '  The  constituent  members 
numbered  but  six,  E.  H.  Mulford,  Rebecca  Mulford, 
Francis  M.  Iglehart,  Judith  W.  Burroughs,  Rebecca 
Westerfield  and  Moses  Danby.  Mrs.  Iglehart  was  known 
as  the  Mother  of  the  Baptist  Church.  For  a  few  years 
previous  to  the  founding  of  the  church  she  had  been  con- 
ducting a  Sunday  School  in  her  home,  herself  being  the 
Superintendent.  A  marble  tablet  in  the  church  built  in 
1875  commemorates  her  devotion. 


272       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

The  recognition  of  the  church  took  place  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  April  29,  1858,  and  dele- 
gates from  five  churches  in  Chicago  and  Waukegan  were 
present.  Dr.  Foster,  president  of  the  University,  read 
the  scripture  and  the  Eeverend  A.  J.  Joslyn  gave  the 
charge  to  the  church. 

Northwestern  University,  in  compliance  with  one  of 
its  rules,  donated  a  lot  to  the  Baptists  for  their  church 
building,  on  the  corner  of  Hinman  Avenue  and  Church 
Street.  More  than  that,  it  offered  them  the  use  of  its 
chapel  for  their  services  until  their  church  was  com- 
pleted. The  first  baptismal  services  of  the  church  were 
in  the  lake,  on  the  shore  of  which,  and  on  the  pier,  stood 
nearly  the  whole  village.  Those  baptized  were  Isaac 
Burroughs,  Betsy  Burroughs,  his  wife,  Elmina  Bur- 
roughs and  Hannah  Newell. 

There  was  no  regular  preacher,  the  preachers  being 
supplied  either  by  the  University  or  neighboring 
churches.  In  1859,  it  was  decided  "to  suspend  further 
efforts  towards  erecting  a  building  for  the  church  and 
also  to  give  up  public  worship  for  the  present."  Prayer 
meetings  and  sociables  kept  the  few  members  from  giving 
up  entirely.  Mr.  Iglehart,  ever  with  the  welfare  of  the 
church  at  heart,  offered  the  use  of  a  twenty  by  thirty  foot 
building  on  his  lot,  near  what  is  now  Eidge  Avenue  and 
Oakton  Street,  for  church  services,  as  the  Northwestern 
chapel  had  been  given  up,  and  the  Congregationalists  were 
occupying  it.  This  building  was  intended  originally  for  a 
billiard  room,  but  when  it  was  accepted  for  church  serv- 
ices, it  was  christened  "Oakton  Chapel." 

For  a  while  the  Baptists  held  four  o'clock  services  in 
the  University  Chapel  and  evening  prayer  meeting  at 


CHURCHES  273 

Oakton  Chapel.  In  1861,  they  used  the  school  house  in 
the  vicinity,  instead  of  Oakton  Chapel,  with  preaching 
only  once  a  month. 

In  1862  the  Reverend  J.  S.  Mahan  came  from 
Waukegan,  but  left  after  a  few  months  as  the  compensa- 
tion was  but  "$2.50  to  $3.00  every  two  weeks.' '  A  few 
prayer  meetings  were  held  after  that  and  then  as  the 
Iglehart  family,  which  seemed  to  be  the  prime  mover  in 
the  church,  had  gone  to  Chicago  for  a  brief  absence,  all 
preaching  and  prayer  meetings  were  suspended. 

In  the  spring  of  1863,  an  impetus  seems  to  have  been 
given  to  congregating  again.  Many  had  moved  out  from 
Chicago  meanwhile.  A  meeting  was  held  in  June  and  ten 
persons  were  received  into  membership.  Eecord  was 
made  of  the  former  election  of  E.  H.  Mulford  as  deacon. 
In  October  trustees  were  elected.  During  the  next  few 
years  the  church  grew  in  strength  and  membership.  In 
June,  1865,  they  reported  to  the  Fox  River  Baptist  Asso- 
ciation, "Our  long  night  of  anxiety  has  passed,  and  the 
full  light  of  a  new  and,  we  trust,  a  better  day,  has 
dawned.' '  And  so,  in  truth,  it  had.  Twenty-six  had 
come  into  the  church  by  letter  and  their  new  $6,500  home, 
free  of  debt,  had  been  dedicated,  February  16,  1865.  In 
June,  William  J.  Leonard  accepted  a  call  to  the  church 
at  a  salary  of  $1000. 

By  1872  the  congregation  began  to  outgrow  the 
small  wooden  church,  so  it  was  decided  to  move  it  to  the 
rear  of  the  lot  at  the  northwest  corner  of  Lake  and 
Chicago  Avenue  and  use  it  until  the  larger  edifice  on 
that  lot  was  completed.  Meanwhile,  during  the  moving 
process,  the  services  were  to  be  held  in  Lyon's  Hall.  One 
Sunday  evening,  November  3, 1872,  after  the  little  church 

18 


274       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

had  been  moved,  and  the  services  were  being  held  there 
temporarily,  the  preacher  had  just  begun  his  discourse  on 
"How  David  got  a  Whipping,"  when  "nearly  half  the 
floor  gave  way  and  precipitated  the  congregation  into 
the  basement."  No  one  was  seriously  hurt.  A  colored 
man,  Nathan  Branch,  sitting  at  the  side  of  the  church  in 
a  pew  fastened  to  the  wall,  felt  the  floor  giving  way  and 
seeing  the  confusion,  jumped  straight  to  outdoors  and 
safety  through  a  window,  breaking  both  glass  and  sash. 
The  next  morning  he  offered  to  make  good  the  damage 
he  had  done  in  his  fright.  He  was  later  the  founder  of 
the  colored  Baptist  Church. 

In  February,  1875,  the  corporate  name  for  the  church 
adopted  was  the  "First  Baptist  Church  of  Evanston." 
The  new  church  was  completed  and  dedicated  November 
21,  1875. 

Mrs.  Eebecca  J.  Mulford,  one  of  the  little  group  of 
six  who  founded  the  first  little  church  in  Evanston,  of 
Baptist  faith,  is  remembered  by  her  name  being  placed  in 
one  of  the  windows  beside  a  sheaf  of  ripe  wheat.  Nor 
had  she  forgotten  the  church  in  her  will. 

A  church  bell  was  made  especially  for  the  new 
church,  and  many  citizens  not  belonging  to  the  church 
made  generous  donations  for  it,  in  order  to  have  a 
"church  bell  centrally  located."  On  July  4,  1876,  the 
bell  was  first  rung,  and  in  honor  of  its  inauguration  it 
was  "consecrated  to  public  services  by  being  rung  thirty 
minutes  at  sunrise,  noon  and  sunset,"  according  to  the 
church  records.  In  the  metal  of  the  bell  is  cast  an  appro- 
priate motto  consisting  of  thirty-two  words. 

In  1897,  an  invitation  was  extended  to  B.  A.  Greene,, 
D.D.,  of  Lynn,  Massachusetts.     He  was  engaged  at  a 


CHURCHES  275 

salary  of  $3,000.  His  years  with  the  church  were  marked 
with  harmony  and  prosperity,  and  an  enlarged  member- 
ship. 

THE  FIRST  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH 

The  First  Congregational  Church  of  Evanston  had 
its  first  organization — first,  because  almost  ten  years 
later  there  was  a  second  organization — December  8,  1859, 
in  the  chapel  of  Northwestern  University,  where  five 
members  met.  The  Reverend  W.  W.  Patton,  pastor  of 
the  First  Church  of  Chicago,  was  appointed  Moderator, 
E.  W.  Blatchford,  scribe,  A.  T.  Sherman,  clerk  and 
the  deacons  elected  were  S.  S.  Whitney  and  Isaac  D. 
Guyer. 

The  membership  reached  eleven  during  the  next  six 
months,  seven  being  Congregationalists  and  the  other 
four  from  other  denominations.  This  early  organization 
was  but  short  lived.  Letters  were  granted  to  all  who 
wished  to  withdraw  from  the  church,  as  many  were  con- 
sidering leaving  Evanston  at  the  time.  The  only  one  who 
did  not  take  out  his  letter  w^as  the  clerk,  A.  T.  Sherman. 
Hoping  the  organization  would  gain  strength  in  time,  he 
paid  the  annual  assessment  to  the  Association  for  five 
years.  Then  seeing  no  hope  of  its  reviving,  he  ceased 
these  payments  and  the  organization  was  suspended  in 
1865.  Later,  in  the  summer  of  that  year,  the  suggestion 
was  made  by  Dr.  Bannister  that  a  Congregational  Church 
should  be  formed.  A  meeting  was  held  at  the  home  of 
Francis  Bradley,  and  weekly  prayer  meetings  were  be- 
gun Out  of  these  grew  the  "Lake  Avenue  Church,' r 
composed  of  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists,  from 
which  the  Congregationalists  withdrew  in  1869  to  form  a 
church  of  their  own. 


276        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

The  Congregational  Church  was  organized  the  sec- 
ond time,  September  8,  1869,  and  recognized  by  council 
January  13,  1870.  The  first  regular  pastor  was  the 
Eeverend  Edward  N.  Packard  of  Syracuse,  New  York. 

The  services  were  held  in  the  chapel  of  Northwestern 
University,  the  east  room  on  the  ground  floor,  a  plain 
room,  with  stationary,  drab  colored,  pine-wood  pews,  and 
blackboards  around  the  walls. 

Some  of  the  early  members  were  Francis  Bradley, 
L.  H.  Boutell,  the  Reverend  D.  Crosby  Green  (afterward 
many  years  a  missionary  in  Japan),  Heman  Powers,  I.  M. 
Williams  and  Orvis  French. 

Northwestern  University  granted  this  new  church  a 
lot,  but  this  lot  was  a  small  park,  originally  given  by  the 
University  to  the  village  of  Evanston  for  "Park  purposes 
only. "  It  was  finally  decided  that  the  lot  should  revert 
to  the  University  Trustees,  upon  the  trustees  of  the 
church  paying  $600  to  the  Village  Trustees.  The  Uni- 
versity Trustees  then  deeded  the  property  to  the  First 
Congregational  Church,  "without  further  compensa- 
tion.' ' 

General  Julius  White,  "moved  that  they  (the  church 
trustees),  should  proceed  to  build  a  church  edifice  cost- 
ing not  less  than  $10,000."  The  church  cost  $25,000,  in- 
stead of  $10,000,  by  the  time  it  was  completed.  Its  mem- 
bership was  less  than  fifty  at  the  time. 

The  Chicago  fire  brought  financial  loss  to  many  and 
a  hard  struggle  followed,  but  the  little  church  carried 
on  and  kept  up  the  interest  on  its  bonded  debt,  which  was 
done  only  by  the  most  careful  management. 

In  1879,  the  Eeverend  A.  J.  Scott  succeeded  Dr. 
Packard,  who  accepted  a  call  to  Boston. 


CHURCHES  277 

In  1883,  the  church  was  enlarged  and  partly  refur- 
nished, at  a  cost  of  $5,000.  There  was  but  one  service 
held  in  the  renovated  church.  Immediately  after  this 
service,  November  23,  1884,  fire  destroyed  the  whole 
building,  and  around  the  smoking  ruins  the  following  day 
pledges  of  money  were  made  toward  rebuilding.  Before 
the  embers  of  the  fire  were  cold,  invitations  began  to  pour 
in  from  the  Methodists,  the  Presbyterians  and  the  Bap- 
tists, to  use  their  buildings  on  Sunday  afternoons  and  for 
social  meetings.  The  Woman's  Temperance  Union  of- 
fered Union  Hall,  and  the  University  offered  Heck  Hall. 

The  new  church,  costing  over  $50,000  was  completed 
and  dedicated  April  11,  1886.  The  Reverend  Mr.  Scott 
resigned  in  1886.  The  Eeverend  Nathan  H.  Whittlesey, 
D.D.,  succeeded  him  and  remained  until  May,  1892.  The 
Eeverend  Jean  Frederick  Loba,  D.D.,  was  installed  in 
November  of  that  year. 

The  church  has  always  stood  for  harmony,  benevo- 
lence, and  charity.  It  has  always  shown  interest  in  civic 
improvement  and  been  ready  to  cooperate  with  the  sister 
churches  in  every  religious  and  social  movement. 

THE  EPISCOPAL  CHUECH 

The  Episcopalians  worshipped  harmoniously  with 
the  Methodists  for  a  number  of  years  before  founding  a 
church  of  their  own.  It  is  said  that  this  was  probably  due 
to  the  fact  that  there  is  much  in  common  between  the  two 
communions.  John  Wesley  never  left  the  Church  of 
England,  even  though  that  Father  of  Methodism  author- 
ized one  Thomas  Coke  to  go  over  to  America  and  ordain 
Francis  Asbury,  the  First  Methodist  Bishop. 

A  meeting  was  held  at  the  home  of  Charles  Comstock 
in  the  spring  of  1864.     Later  notice  was  given  in  the 


278        EYANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

chapel  of  the  University,  by  the  Eeverend  John  Wilkin- 
son, Chaplain  to  Bishop  Whitehonse,  that  a  church  (Epis- 
copal) would  be  organized  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  on  April  20th.  At  this  meeting,  the  new  church 
was  founded  and  the  name  chosen  was  St.  Mark's  Parish. 
It  was  never  a  mission.  The  church  senior  and  junior 
wardens  chosen  were  Charles  Comstock  and  D.  J. 
Crocker. 

The  first  service  of  the  church  was  held  in  the  Metho- 
dist Church,  the  third  Sunday  in  May,  1864,  and  was  con- 
ducted by  the  Reverend  Mr.  Wilkinson.  Familiar  names, 
at  least  some  of  them,  are  appended  to  the  constitution 
adopted,  those  of  H.  B.  Hurd,  John  Lyman,  J.  H.  Kedzie, 
F.  M.  Weller,  J.  S.  Haywood,  William  C.  Comstock,  A.  J. 
Wilder,  John  Lighthall  and  H.  C.  Cone. 

The  University  offered  the  church  the  use  of  its 
chapel  for  services,  and  there  the  services  were  held  until 
the  first  Episcopal  church  building  in  the  village  was 
erected,  in  1865.  The  Reverend  John  Buckmaster  was 
the  first  rector. 

This  church,  a  small  wooden  building,  was  built  on 
a  lot  that  Northwestern  University  had  donated  to  the 
parish,  60  feet  on  the  north  side  of  Davis  Street,  between 
Ridge  and  Oak  Avenues,  with  a  depth  of  150  feet. 

Public  services  were  suspended  for  several  weeks 
during  the  spring  of  1865,  but  the  members  must  have 
kept  the  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  church  alive,  as  by 
September  15,  1865,  the  church  was  finished  and  free  of 
debt,  at  which  time  it  was  consecrated  by  Bishop  White- 
house. 

During  the  time  the  services  were  held  in  the  Uni- 
versity Chapel,  the  little  melodeon  used  was  carried  every 


CHURCHES  279 

week  to  the  chapel  from  the  Avenue  House,  where  the 
"Lady  organist"  boarded.  William  C.  Comstock  was 
chorister  and  sexton  combined,  and  the  Comstock  car- 
riage furnished  the  means  of  travel  for  the  choir  mem- 
bers to  the  chapel  every  Saturday  evening  for  rehearsal. 

When  there  was  no  regular  rector,  the  pulpit  was 
usually  supplied  by  a  temporary  rector. 

Under  the  second  rector,  the  Reverend  Thomas  Lisle, 
of  Philadelphia,  1867-1869,  great  progress  was  made  in 
the  church,  and  the  people  of  the  village  began  to  realize 
that  St.  Mark's  Parish  had  become  an  integral  part  of 
the  place.  The  number  of  communicants  in  the  parish 
during  the  Reverend  Mr.  Lisle 's  rectorship  doubled. 
During  these  two  years  there  were  fourteen  confirma- 
tions. 

In  1868,  the  churdh  building  was  enlarged,  and 
Evanston's  second  church  bell  rang  out  from  the  new 
wooden  tower,  or  rather  belfry,  this  one  to  call  the  par- 
ishioners of  St.  Mark's  to  worship. 

Three  later  additions  were  made  to  the  little  wooden 
church. 

In  1873,  plans  for  a  new  church  began  to  be  dis- 
cussed. The  vestry  however,  disapproved  of  building 
at  this  time,  on  the  ground  that  the  increased  popula- 
tion was  but  temporary,  as  many  who  had  moved  from 
Chicago  to  Evanston  after  the  Chicago  fire,  would  return 
when  their  new  homes  were  completed.  The  women  of 
the  church,  however,  were  determined  if  a  new  church 
was  not  to  be  considered,  to  enlarge  the  church  build- 
ing at  their  own  expense  and  it  was  resolved  "unani- 
mously" (according  to  the  minutes  of  the  vestry,  July 
11, 1875)  that  the  ladies  were  to  be  allowed  to  enlarge  the 


280       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

church  building,  but  the  vestry  was  not  to  be  liable  for 
any  part  of  the  cost.  That  they,  the  ladies,  were  to  be 
entirely  responsible  for  all  expenses  incurred,  quenched 
their  fire  of  enthusiasm  not  at  all  and  their  work  resulted 
in  the  building  of  the  * '  south  aisle  of  the  church. ' '  The 
Men's  Guild,  encouraged  by  this  fine  example  of  the 
ladies'  work,  later  built  the  "north  aisle." 

The  prophecy  of  the  vestry  proved  a  correct  one. 
By  1874,  many  of  the  refugees  from  the  Chicago  fire  had 
moved  back  to  their  former  homes,  and  the  congregation 
that  once  had  filled  the  church,  now  comprised  scarcely 
more  than  forty  persons. 

With  the  coming  of  the  Reverend  J.  Stewart  Smith 
in  1876,  there  began  a  marked  change.  The  unattractive 
church  building  contained  an  altar  that  was  nothing  more 
than  a  wooden  box,  four  feet  long,  with  no  cross,  vases, 
altar  lights  or  altar  vestings ;  nor  was  there  a  full  set  of 
altar  linens.  Common  bread  was  used  in  place  of  un- 
leavened bread  in  celebrating  the  Holy  Eucharist.  The 
rector  wore  a  long,  white  surplice,  with  black  stole. 
Many  feast  and  fast  days  were  not  observed. 

The  Reverend  Mr.  Smith  remained  as  rector  four 
years.  By  perseverance  and  tact,  and  in  the  face  of 
some  opposition,  he  brought  about  a  new  order  of  things, 
one  marked  by  progress  and  prosperity  not  realized  be- 
fore. The  building  was  given  a  more  churchly  appear- 
ance by  repairing  and  decorating;  a  good  cabinet  organ 
replaced  the  little  melodeon;  a  fitting  altar  with  cross, 
vases  and  proper  vestings  for  the  various  seasons  of  the 
Christian  Year  replaced  the  old  wooden  box  affair;  the 
rector  appeared  in  proper  vestments  and  all  Holy  Days 
were    observed.     The    result    was    a    brightness    and 


CHURCHES  281 

attractiveness  in  the  services  that  had  not  existed 
before. 

Under  the  rectorship  of  the  sixth  minister,  the  Rev- 
erend Dr.  Frederick  S.  Jewell  (1880  to  1885),  a  mission 
in  South  Evanston  was  started.  This  mission  became 
St.  Luke's  Church  in  1891. 

In  1882,  the  Men's  Guild  of  St.  Mark's  Church  was 
organized,  its  object  being  to  promote  fellowship  in  the 
parish,  as  well  as  to  support  the  rector  in  his  work. 

The  Reverend  Richard  Hayward  was  the  seventh 
rector,  a  former  chaplain  in  the  U.  S.  Navy.  He  served 
the  church  from  1886  to  1888.  During  this  time  the 
scheme  for  building  a  new  church  was  again  given  con- 
sideration and  about  ten  thousand  dollars  pledged. 

A  six  months '  vacancy  followed  Mr.  Hayward 's  term 
of  serving,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  Reverend  Arthur 
W.  Little's  rectorship  begins  to  date.  Dr.  Little  began 
at  once  to  push  the  building  of  a  new  church.  This 
church,  a  beautiful  stone  building  of  early  English  type, 
was  erected  on  the  corner  of  Ridge  Avenue  and  Grove 
Street,  The  corner  stone  had  been  laid  by  the  bishop 
May  18,  1890.  The  first  services  were  held  Easter  Sun- 
day, March  29,  1891.  On  St.  Mark's  Day,  April  25,  1895,, 
the  church  being  entirely  free  from  debt  was  consecrated 
by  the  bishop. 

Charles  Comstock,  connected  with  the  church  since 
its  founding  in  1865,  attended  public  service  for  the  last 
time,  at  the  consecration  of  the  new  church.  He  had  been 
Senior  Warden  of  the  church  for  thirty  years,  and  in  all 
the  years  of  the  existence  of  the  church  a  generous  bene- 
factor. He  died  the  following  September,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two  years. 


282        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

In  the  fall  of  1901  the  belfry  in  the  tower  was  fitted 
with  a  chime  of  nine  bells,  the  largest  weighing  2,001 
pounds.  These  were  the  gift  of  Arthur  Orr.  The  value 
of  the  bells  was  over  $9,000. 

Under  Dr.  Little  the  church  prospered,  and  grew  not 
only  in  membership,  but  in  far  reaching  influence.  Its 
missions  have  increased  and  its  charities  have  become 
manifold. 


Chapter  XV 
CHURCHES— (Continued) 

CATHOLIC  CHUECH 

THE  few  Catholic  families  living  in  Evanston  in  the 
early  days,  having  no  church  of  their  own,  were  com- 
pelled to  go  either  further  west  to  Gross  Point,  or  south 
to  High  Ridge  (Kenmore).  In  1864,  there  was  an  effort 
made  to  establish  a  church  of  the  Catholic  faith  in  the 
Village  of  Evanston,  and  a  lot  was  purchased  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Lake  Street  and  Oak  Avenue.  The  purchase  of 
this  lot,  however,  exhausted  the  available  funds  and  the 
building  of  the  church  was  postponed  until  1866.  The 
members  meanwhile  continued  to  attend  services  at  Gross 
Point  and  High  Ridge.  In  this  year,  1866,  a  small  twenty 
by  forty  foot  wooden  building  was  erected,  and  the  Rev- 
erend Mr.  Heskemann  of  Gross  Point  came  to  conduct 
the  services  every  alternate  Sunday,  for  a  period  of  two 
years. 

In  1869,  the  little  church  was  moved  to  the  south  side 
of  the  lot  and  the  second  church  was  built.  The  Reverend 
Mr.  Heamers  succeeded  the  Reverend  Mr.  Heskemann, 
but  he,  too,  came  only  on  Sundays.  During  his  time  a 
school  was  established. 

The  Reverend  Mr.  Marshall,  and  later  the  Reverend 
Mr.  Michels,  succeeded  to  the  pastorate  in  Rose  Hill  and 
attended  Evanston  only  as  a  mission. 

The  first  resident  pastor  was  the  Reverend  M.  Dono- 
hue,  from  Waukegan,  who  came  in  1872.  The  second 
church  was  used  for  twenty  years. 


284       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

The  new  St.  Mary's  Church  was  begun  in  1891,  and 
was  ready  for  use  in  May,  1892. 

The  German  Catholic  population  had  increased  to 
such  an  extent  it  became  possible  to  organize  a  new  con- 


The  Reverend  H.  P.  Smyth 
Pastor  of  St.  Mary's  Parish  for  thirty-five  years 

gregation.  A  two  story  building,  to  be  used  as  a  tempo- 
rary church  and  a  school,  was  erected  on  Ridge  Avenue 
and  Washington  Street  in  1887,  and  the  Reverend  Mr. 


CHURCHES  285 

Greenebaum  was  installed  as  pastor.  This  building 
served  for  ten  years. 

In  1897,  the  church  and  school  building  burned  to  the 
ground  during  school  hours,  but  the  teachers  and  children 
escaped  in  safety.  The  congregation  again  attended  serv- 
ices at  St.  Mary's  Church,  while  the  second  building  for 
the  St.  Nicholas '  congregation  was  under  construction. 
This  church  was  ready  for  use  the  spring  of  the  following 
year.  An  Academy  for  young  ladies  was  established  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  Davis  Street  and  Wesley  Avenue 
in  1897. 

The  Reverend  H.  P.  Smyth  and  the  Eeverend  Mr. 
Biermann  of  St.  Nicholas  Church,  acting  for  the  Fran- 
ciscan Sisters,  bought  the  Kirk  residence  on  Ridge  Ave- 
nue and  fitted  it  up  as  a  hospital  in  1901,  and  "The  St. 
Francis  Hospital  Auxiliary  Association' '  was  established 
by  the  parishes  of  both  St.  Mary's  and  St.  Nicholas' 
Churches. 

The  Catholic  population  in  Evanston,  according  to 
the  census  taken  in  1900,  was  3,400,  and  represented 
nearly  all  European  nationalities. 

The  new  Gothic  Church  building  of  St.  Nicholas* 
parish  was  begun  in  the  early  years  of  the  new  century. 

PEESBYTEEIAN 

In  1866,  two  years  after  the  founding  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church,  the  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists 
decided  to  withdraw  from  the  Mother  Church,  the  Metho- 
dist, and  unite  in  forming  an  independent  church, 
neither  one  being  strong  enough  in  numbers  to  branch 
out  alone. 

The  Reverend  James  B.  Duncan  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Canada,  was  invited  by  the  Presbyterians  to 


286       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

come  to  Evanston.  With  the  founding  of  this  union 
church,  July,  1866,  began  the  ministry  of  the  Reverend 
Mr.  Duncan,  which  extended  over  a  period  of  two  years. 

Northwestern  University,  true  to  its  liberal  policy, 
presented  this  new  union  church  with  a  lot  on  the  north- 
west corner  of  Hinman  Avenue  and  Greenwood  Boule- 
vard, where  later  was  built  the  Greenwood  Inn.  This 
lot  was  later  exchanged  for  one  at  the  corner  of  Lake 
" Avenue' '  and  Chicago  Avenue,  and  the  simple  wooden 
structure  built  upon  it,  seating  about  250  persons,  was 
called  the  ' '  Lake  Avenue  Church. ' ' 

Two  years  of  harmony  followed,  during  which  time 
the  attendance  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  each  de- 
nomination felt  strong  enough  to  organize  a  church  of 
its  own. 

Accordingly,  the  Presbyterians  purchased  the  inter- 
est of  the  Congregationalists  and  remained  on  the  site, 
and  the  "First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Evanston' '  was 
organized  July  27,  1868,  by  the  Eeverend  Robert  W.  Pat- 
terson, D.D.,  and  the  Reverend  James  T.  Matthews,  its 
original  members  numbering  thirty-eight,  all  but  three  of 
whom  had  been  members  of  the  ' '  Lake  Avenue  Church. ' ' 

The  ruling  elders  chosen  and  ordained  were  Brainerd 
Kent,  George  E.  Purrington,  Lewis  M.  Angle  and  A.  L. 
Winne. 

Dr.  George  Clement  Noyes  of  La  Porte,  Indiana,  a 
cousin  of  Professor  Henry  E.  Noyes  of  Northwestern 
University,  began  his  long  and  useful  pastorate,  cover- 
ing over  twenty-one  years  of  service,  from  November, 
1868„  until  his  death  in  January,  1889. 

After  he  had  served  a  year,  the  congregation  had  so 
greatly  increased  that  it  was  necessary  to  enlarge  the 


CHURCHES  287 

building.  This  was  done  and  a  lecture  room  was  added. 
The  church  had  a  seating  capacity  for  350  persons,  after 
it  was  enlarged. 

In  the  spring  of  1875,  the  little  church  and  its  con- 
tents were  destroyed  by  fire,  a  serious  loss  to  the  congre- 
gation, following,  as  it  did,  so  closely  upon  the  Chicago 
fire,  which  had  brought  not  only  financial  embarrassment 
to  many  of  the  business  men  of  the  church,  but  absolute 
ruin  to  some.  The  little  congregation,  however,  rallied 
bravely  to  the  work  of  rebuilding,  and  in  a  little  more 
than  six  months — by  Christmas  time — services  were  held 
in  the  new  lecture  room.  The  following  year,  July,  1876, 
saw  the  new  church  completed,  the  cost  of  which  was  in 
the  neighborhood  of  $22,000.  While  homeless,  the  congre- 
gation had  held  services  in  Lyon's  Hall. 

In  "A  Twenty  Years'  Pastorate,"  the  Keverend  Mr. 
Noyes  says  nine  hundred  and  sixty-three  persons  were 
taken  into  the  church  during  his  ministry;  he  joined  the 
hands  of  seventy-five  couples  in  the  holy  bond  of  matri- 
mony and  christened  one  hundred  and  forty-five  children. 
Had  there  been  no  losses  by  removal  or  by  death,  the 
membership  would  have  reached  1,001,  instead  of  four 
hundred  and  fifty  or  five  hundred. 

The  church  had  a  flourishing  Sunday  School,  a 
strong  Young  People's  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor;  a 
busy  Ladies'  Church  Association;  a  "kitchen  garden'* 
where  eighty-four  poor  girls  were  taught  to  sew  and  to 
do  kitchen  work ;  a  church  in  South  Evanston,  the  South 
Evanston  Presbyterian  Church,  which  had  branched  out 
from  the  Mother  Presbyterian  Church,  with  fifty  mem- 
bers three  years  previous  and  now  its  membership  had 
trebled.     In    short,    the    church    was    reaching    out    in 


288       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

its  work  in  every  direction  and  " carrying  on."  To 
use  Dr.  Noyes'  words,  "We  are  trying  to  do  the  work 
which  belongs  to  us  as  a  church.' '  That  the  church  suc- 
ceeded so  well  in  all  its  various  undertakings  was  due  to 
the  splendid  leadership  of  its  pastor.  His  death  occurred 
January  14, 1889,  and  he  was  deeply  mourned  not  only  by 
his  own  followers,  but  throughout  the  village. 

For  more  than  a  year,  the  church  had  no  regular 
pastor,  then  the  Reverend  Newell  Dwight  Hillis,  of 
Peoria,  accepted  the  invitation  to  take  charge,  February, 
1890,  and  entered  upon  his  work  in  April,  1890.  His  work 
immediately  began  to  bear  fruit  and  the  membership 
increased  almost  seventy-five  per  cent  in  a  few  years. 

In  the  fourth  year  of  the  Reverend  Mr.  Hillis '  min- 
istry, disaster  again  visited  the  church.  February  24, 
1894,  on  Sunday  morning,  the  gathering  members 
watched  for  the  second  time  fire  wipe  out  their  place  of 
worship.  The  membership  had  increased,  and  the  build- 
ing of  a  larger  church  had  been  under  consideration  for 
some  time.  Whether  to  tear  the  old  one  down  and  build 
an  entirely  new  church,  or  add  to  the  old  one,  was  a  ques- 
tion not  yet  decided.  The  fire  answered  the  question. 
Work  was  begun  at  once  on  the  old  site,  and  the  following 
October  saw  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone.  The  build- 
ing was  completed  and  opened  eleven  months  later,  Sep- 
tember 1,  1895.  The  new  building  of  Lemont  limestone, 
with  red  oak  interior  finishings  and  roof-beams  of 
Georgia  pine,  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $63,500 ;  the  organ 
cost  $6,600  additional.  The  auditorium  and  gallery  has 
a  seating  capacity  of  fourteen  hundred.  Two  memorial 
windows  commemorate  two  noble  men  of  the  Presby- 
terian faith,  one,  the  Reverend  Robert  W.  Patterson, 


CHURCHES  289 

D.D.,  Father  of  Chicago  Presbyterianism,  and  who,  with 
the  Eeverend  James  T.  Matthews  was  appointed  to  or- 
ganize the  " First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Evanston.,, 
The  other  window  was  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  the 
beloved  Reverend  George  Clement  Noyes,  D.D. 

After  Dr.  Hillis  retired  in  1894  from  the  pastorate 
to  accept  an  invitation  to  the  Central  Church  (Inde- 
pendent), Chicago,  the  Eeverend  John  H.  Boyd,  D.D.,  of 
Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  accepted  a  call  to  the  church. 
His  persuasive  powers  were  proved  one  Sunday  in  April, 
1899,  when  the  remaining  church  debt  of  $17,500  was 
wiped  out  by  the  congregation  in  a  space  of  forty  min- 
utes, after  an  appeal  by  the  pastor. 

A  prosperous  church  whose  every  pastor  held  a  rec- 
ord for  fine  leadership;  a  church  membership  soaring 
toward  the  thousand  mark — such  was  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Evanston,  when  the  new  century  began. 

GERMAN  LUTHERAN 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Clark  Street  and  the  North- 
western railroad,  there  was  a  settlement  of  German 
Lutherans  in  the  early  seventies  who  had  come  from 
their  home  in  Mechlinburgh-Schwerin,  to  this  "  village  in 
the  woods,"  where  they  spent  many  homesick  and  un- 
happy hours  without  the  solace  of  a  church,  where  the 
gospel  was  preached  in  their  own  language.  In  1872,  the 
Eeverend  A.  H.  Eeinke,  who  was  later  the  pastor  in  Chi- 
cago of  the  largest  German  Lutheran  congregation  in 
America,  agreed  to  come  to  Evanston  on  Sunday  eve- 
nings and  preach  to  the  little  group  of  German  settlers 
gathered  in  one  of  the  cabins,  and  occupying  chairs, 
stools,  boxes  and  even  over-turned  wash-tubs,  so  eager 
were  these  new  countrymen  to  hear  the  gospel  in  their 


290       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

native  tongue.  In  this  group  were  H.  Voiglits,  H.  Witt, 
Joh.  Witt,  Joachim  Witt,  P.  Claussen,  Martin  Becker, 
A.  P.  Hanclke,  F.  Lass,  Joh.  Vorbeck,  and  F.  Strokey, 
and  on  August  8,  1875,  these  men  founded  the  German 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Bethlehem  Church  of  Evanston, 
Cook  County,  Illinois. 

The  first  church  of  this  denomination,  a  small  frame 
building,  was  built  on  Florence  Avenue  near  Lake  Street. 
Their  first  ordained  minister  was  the  Reverend  Edward 
Doring,  who  held  the  pastorate  from  1874  to  1881. 

The  first  school  was  in  an  attic  of  a  small  dwelling 
in  the  prairie  where  the  pastor,  the  Eeverend  Mr.  Detzer, 
who  took  charge  in  1881,  taught  a  class  of  twelve  chil- 
dren. Although  the  members  of  the  German  Lutheran 
population  were  paying  taxes  for  public  schools,  they 
decided  to  build  a  school  house  of  their  own  and  erected 
a  school  building  on  Greenwood  Boulevard. 

In  1886,  fourteen  years  after  the  founding  of  the 
church,  the  members  put  up  a  substantial  church  build- 
ing at  the  corner  of  Wesley  Avenue  and  Greenwood 
Boulevard. 

In  1890  a  two-story  brick-veneered  school  house  was 
completed  and  the  class  of  pupils  moved  into  its  more 
spacious  quarters.  Soon  after  this,  the  Reverend  Mr. 
Detzer,  after  nearly  twenty  years  of  faithful  service,  left 
this  Evanston  church  to  build  up  a  German  Lutheran 
mission  in  St.  Paul.  The  Reverend  Mr.  Reinke  again 
took  under  his  care  the  little  congregation  and  in  Sep- 
tember, 1890,  his  son-in-law,  the  Reverend  J.  D.  Matthius 
of  Chicago,  was  installed  as  minister,  under  whom  the 
the  church  continued  to  prosper  and  the  congregation  to 
increase. 


CHURCHES  291 

NOEWEGIAN-DANISH   METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH 

Karl  Shou,  a  native  of  Denmark,  who  was  a  student 
in  Northwestern  University,  in  1870  gathered  together  a 
few  Scandinavian  friends  on  Sunday  afternoons  in  the 
Benson  Avenue  School,  for  the  study  of  the  Bible.  At 
the  Annual  Conference  in  Milwaukee,  October,  1871,  he 
was  appointed  pastor  of  the  church,  which  had  grown 
out  of  his  Bible  class,  and  had  a  membership  of  thirty- 
three.  The  vacated  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
building  was  moved  to  a  lot  on  the  south  side  of  Church 
Street,  between  Orrington  and  Sherman  Avenues,  and 
taken  over  for  the  use  of  this  church. 

By  1900,  the  membership  reached  about  one  hundred, 
and  the  various  pastors  that  had  been  engaged  comprised 
four  teachers  in  the  theological  school,  two  editors,  and 
six  students  in  educational  institutions  in  Evanston. 

Brother  Haugan,  appointed  pastor  in  1895,  made  the 
plans  for  the  church  building  on  Clark  Street  and  super- 
intended its  erection. 

SWEDISH  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHUECH 

The  Swedes  were  in  the  majority  in  the  Scandinavian 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  Karl  Shou  had  or- 
ganized in  1870,  but  as  they  were  denied  meetings  con- 
ducted in  their  language,  they  withdrew  and  formed  a 
separate  society,  holding  their  meetings  in  Lyon's  Hall, 
where  in  1874  their  church  was  formally  organized. 

During  the  pastorate  of  0.  J.  Stead,  a  theological 
student,  the  church  building  on  the  corner  of  Grove 
Street  and  Sherman  Avenue  was  erected.  It  was  dedi- 
cated June  11, 1876. 


292        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 
CENTRAL  STREET  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

In  August,  1870,  North  Evanston  was  set  apart  as  a 
separate  charge  at  the  quarterly  conference  of  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Evanston,  and  the  Second 
Methodist  Episcopal  Society  of  Evanston  was  organized 
September  6,  1870,  by  the  Eeverend  E.  G.  W.  Hall,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  D.  W.  Warren,  and  John  Culver,  who  had 
withdrawn  from  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
to  form  a  new  church. 

John  Culver  donated  a  lot  on  West  Eailroad  Avenue 
near  Lincoln  Street.  The  Eeverend  Daniel  P.  Kidder 
made  a  very  liberal  contribution  which  encouraged  others 
to  do  likewise.  The  church  was  dedicated  August  11, 
1872.  The  rear  part  of  the  building,  however,  already 
had  been  in  use  for  services  for  some  time.  Another  lot 
was  purchased  at  the  corner  of  Central  Street  and  Prairie 
Avenue  and  a  new  building  erected,  which  was  dedicated 
December,  1891. 

THE  HEMENWAY  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

The  Hemenway  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
South  Evanston  was  organized  July  17,  1873,  but  it  had 
had  its  beginning  over  a  year  previous,  in  the  spring  of 
1872.  For  several  months,  regular  services  were  held  in 
a  school  house  on  Eidge  Avenue,  south  of  Lincoln  Ave- 
nue (Main  Street).  Lots  for  a  church  building  were 
secured  at  the  corner  of  Lincoln  Avenue  (Main  Street) 
and  Benson  Avenue  (Elmwood),  and  ground  was  broken 
for  the  first  building  July  22,  1873.  With  only  the  base- 
ment finished,  the  church  was  dedicated  November,  1873. 
On  May  9,  1883,  the  entire  building  was  destroyed  by  a 
cyclone.    The  pastor,  Isaac  Linebarger  and  his  wife  were 


CHURCHES  293 

approaching  the  church  at  the  time  the  cyclone  struck  it 
and  the  flying  boards  fell  all  around  them. 

The  second  church  building  was  dedicated  November 
11,  1883.  A  little  over  two  years  later,  on  Saturday 
morning,  January  23,  1886,  it  was  burned.  As  James 
Wigginton  and  his  wife  stood  looking  at  the  ashes  of  the 
church,  he  turned  to  her  and  remarked,  "The  church 
needs  us  now."  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wigginton  immediately 
became  members,  an  act  that  marked  the  beginning  of 
more  than  forty  years  of  faithful  church  service. 

The  congregation  then  worshiped  in  Ducat's  Hall, 
and  began  to  make  plans  for  rebuilding.  A  new  site  was 
selected  on  the  east  side  of  Chicago  Avenue  just  north  of 
Lincoln  Avenue,  a  lot  with  150  foot  frontage.  The  new 
church  was  dedicated  December  25,  1887,  and  named 
Hemenway  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  honor  of  the 
Eeverend  Francis  Dana  Hemenway,  professor  at  Gar- 
rett Biblical  Institute. 

The  trustees  were  Thomas  Purnell,  Pres.,  John  W. 
Byam,  Wesley  L.  Knox,  W.  H.  Blake,  M.  D.  Ewell,  W.  G. 
Miller  and  Edwin  Benjamin.  The  stewards  were  Thomas 
Purnell,  E.  Benjamin,  J.  E.  Hathaway,  James  H.  Thomas, 
Thomas  Blackler,  J.  Milhenning,  F.  W.  Brown,  James 
Wigginton.  Charles  0.  Boring  was  Sunday  School  Su- 
perintendent. The  Eeverend  A.  G.  Burton  was  the  first 
pastor.  He  served  until  1873.  Others  were  W.  H. 
Burns,  W.  X.  Ninde,  J.  R.  C.  Layton,  C.  H.  Zimmer- 
man, F.  D.  Hemenway,  S.  H.  Adams,  I.  Linebarger, 
H.  B.  Ridgaway,  L.  Curts,  M.  S.  Terry,  T.  P.  Marsh, 
W.  H.  Holmes,  W.  E.  Wilkinson,  and  0.  F.  Matteson. 
The  first  four  and  the  seventh,  eighth  and  ninth  of  these 
were  supplies. 


294       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 
SECOND  PKESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

The  Reverend  George  Clement  Noyes  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Evanston  began  to  hold  a  series 
of  neighborhood  prayer  meetings  in  South  Evanston 
after  he  moved  to  the  corner  of  Greenleaf  Street  and 
Jnclson  Avenue,  and  out  of  these  prayer  meetings  grew 
a  desire  among  the  Presbyterians  in  the  south  end  of 
town  for  a  church  of  their  own.  A  call  was  sent  out  to 
all  interested  persons  to  attend  a  meeting  February  24, 
1884,  at  Ducat's  Hall,  that  an  effort  might  be  made  to 
organize  either  a  Presbyterian  or  a  Congregational 
Church.  There  had  been  a  few  preliminary  meetings  and 
these  had  been  attended  by  Charles  Randolph,  General 
Julius  White,  A.  H.  Gunn,  J.  M.  Brown,  T.  Lamkin,  E.  A. 
Downs,  William  M.  R.  Vose  and  George  W.  Hotchkiss. 

At  the  February  meeting  were  eighty-five  persons. 
A  meeting  in  March  showed  the  movement  had  the  ap- 
proval of  over  two  hundred  adults.  At  the  April  meet- 
ing, over  $6,000  was  reported  pledged,  and  it  was  decided 
the  work  of  organization  and  building  of  a  church  should 
go  forward  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

The  organization  was  to  be  known  as  "The  Presby- 
terian Church  of  South  Evanston."  A  lot  was  purchased 
for  $3,500  at  the  corner  of  Hinman  Avenue  with  114  foot 
frontage,  and  Lincoln  Avenue  (Main  Street),  on  which  a 
church  building  was  erected  with  a  seating  capacity  for 
four  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  the  cost  of  the  building 
being  about  $20,000.  Holabird  and  Roche  were  the  archi- 
tects. The  church  was  dedicated  by  the  Reverend  George 
C.  Noyes,  June  28,  1885.  After  the  village  of  South 
Evanston  was  annexed  to  Evanston,  the  corporation  be- 


CHURCHES  295 

came  known  as  "The  South  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Evanston."  In  1901  the  name  was  again  changed,  and  it 
became  "The  Second  Presbyterian  of  Evanston." 

The  various  ministers  occupying  the  pulpit  were  the 
Reverend  R.  W.  Patterson,  pulpit  supply  to  November, 
1885 ;  the  Reverend  William  Smith  of  Hudson,  New  York, 
who  served  until  his  death,  February,  1892 ;  the  Reverend 
John  N.  Milles  of  Beatrice,  Nebraska,  serving  from  June, 
1892,  to  May,  1895 ;  Professor  M.  Bross  Thomas,  pulpit 
supply,  March,  1896;  Dr.  Ringland,  April  5,  1896,  to 
February,  1898,  whose  failing  health  compelled  him  to 
take  a  year's  vacation,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  re- 
signed, the  pulpit  being  supplied  meanwhile  by  Professor 
Thomas  again.  The  Reverend  John  W.  Francis  became 
pastor  of  the  church,  February,  1899,  and  continued  to 
have  charge  for  several  years. 

ST.  LUKE'S  PARISH 

St.  Luke's  Parish  had  its  beginning  in  a  mission  in 
July,  1885,  the  number  of  communicants  being  twenty- 
seven.  The  first  service  was  held  in  Ducat's  Hall.  Later 
a  store  on  Chicago  Avenue  was  used  and  the  priest  in 
charge  the  first  year  was  the  Reverend  Marcus  Lane. 
He  was  succeeded  by  the  Reverend  Daniel  F.  Smith. 

Ground  was  broken  for  the  church  October,  1886,  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  Lincoln  Avenue  (Main  Street) 
and  Sherman  Avenue.  Services  were  held  in  the  new 
frame  structure  the  following  spring.  Twice  the  church 
was  enlarged.  It  was  consecrated  November,  1889,  being 
free  from  debt.  In  January,  1889,  the  corporation  was 
reorganized  as  a  parish. 

The  number  of  communicants  increased  in  twenty- 
one  years  from  twenty-seven  to  over  four  hundred,  and 


296       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

the    parish   became    a    strong   and   active    one    in    the 
diocese. 

WHEADON"  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

The  Wheadon  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  or- 
ganized in  1888  by  the  Reverend  Dr.  Luke  Hitchcock, 
Presiding  Elder  of  the  Chicago  District  and  named  in 
honor  of  its  first  pastor,  the  Reverend  Edward  D.  Whea- 
don, lovingly  called  Father  Wheadon  by  his  congregation. 
The  Reverend  Mr.  Wheadon  formed  a  class  in  1887, 
which  met  around  in  the  homes.  Then  a  tent  was  pitched 
in  a  lot  on  Foster  Street  and  services  were  held  there. 
In  1888,  the  services  were  transferred  to  a  hall  on  the 
same  street,  where  the  church  was  organized. 

A  lot  was  bought  on  the  corner  of  Ridge  Avenue  and 
Leon  Street  in  1889,  and  a  chapel  built  on  it  costing 
$1,750.  The  chapel  was  dedicated  February,  1890.  By 
1900  the  church  had  a  membership  of  nearly  one  hundred 
and  a  flourishing  Sunday  School. 

EMMANUEL  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

A  Sunday  School  organized  March,  1889,  in  the  High 
School  building  on  Dempster  Street  was  the  beginning 
of  the  Emmanuel  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  under 
control  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Charles 
0.  Boring  was  Superintendent,  S.  A.  Kean,  Assistant 
Superintendent,  and  Charles  G.  Haskins,  Secretary  and 
Treasurer.  At  the  quarterly  conference  of  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  November,  1889,  the  reso- 
lution was  offered  and  adopted,  whereas  the  time  had 
arrived  for  the  purchase  of  a  lot  for  the  ultimate  erection 
of  a  church  thereon,  that  a  committee  be  appointed  to 
take  care  of  the  matter.  Accordingly,  a  lot  was  purchased 


CHURCHES  297 

at  the  corner  of  Greenwood  Boulevard  and  Oak  Avenue 
at  a  cost  of  $11,500. 

The  church  building  was  finished  and  dedicated 
August,  1892,  the  total  cost  of  the  property  being  $80,000 

Among  the  first  Stewards  of  the  church  we  see  the 
names  of  H.  B.  Hurd,  S.  A.  Kean,  J.  J.  Shutterly,  C.  O. 
Boring,  George  S.  Baker,  John  Freeman  and  George  A. 
Bass.  The  first  pastor  appointed  for  this  church  was 
the  Reverend  Sylvestor  F.  Jones,  brother  to  Professor 
William  Jones,  founder  of  the  Northwestern  Female 
College. 

NORWEGIAN-DANISH  LUTHERAN  CHURCH 

The  Norwegian-Danish  Lutheran  Church  was  organ- 
ized July  29,  1891.  Services  were  held  in  rented  rooms 
until  a  church  building,  which  had  belonged  first  to  the 
German  and  later  to  the  Swedish  Lutheran  congregation, 
was  bought  and  moved  to  Greenwood  Boulevard  between 
Sherman  and  Benson  Avenues. 

THE  SWEDISH  EVANGELICAL  LUTHERAN  CHURCH 

The  Eeverend  S.  A.  Sandahl  of  Lake  View  organ- 
ized this  church  with  thirty-four  communicants  in  1888. 
The  first  minister  was  the  Eeverend  J.  Edgren.  While 
the  Eeverend  C.  Solmonson  was  pastor,  the  church  and 
parsonage  at  Sherman  Avenue  and  Lake  Street  were 
built. 

FIRST  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST,  SCIENTIST 

The  First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  began  with  a 
membership  of  twenty-six  in  January,  1895.  The  meet- 
ings were  held  in  homes  in  the  beginning,  the  congre- 
gation occupying  larger  quarters  as  the  membership 
increased,  until  the  church  on  the  southwest  corner  of 


298        EYANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Chicago  Avenue  and  Grove  Street  was  ready  for  use. 
This  church  was  destroyed  by  fire  about  1897,  and  the 
one  hundred  members  immediately  set  about  erecting  a 
new  church  at  a  cost  of  $25,000.  They  wiped  out  the  debt 
in  three  years. 

EYANSTON  CHEISTIAN  CHUECH 

The  Evanston  Christian  Church  is  the  outgrowth  of 
the  Eeformation  movement,  which  began  in  western 
Pennsylvania  about  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, and  has  followed  wherever  emigration  has  gone. 

On  November  24,  1895,  there  was  a  meeting  held  at 
the  home  of  Milton  0.  Naramore,  at  No.  925  Main  Street, 
to  discuss  organizing  a  church.  Attending  this  meeting, 
besides  a  few  disciples,  were  City  Evangelist  E.  W. 
Darst,  W.  B.  Taylor,  pastor  of  the  North  Side  Christian 
Church  of  Chicago,  and  E.  S.  Ames  of  the  Disciples ' 
Divinity  House  of  the  University  of  Chicago.  Several 
meetings  were  held  in  homes,  after  which  a  series  of 
meetings  were  held  in  Union  Hall,  No.  807  Davis  Street, 
beginning  January  5,  1896.  On  this  date  the  inaugural 
sermon  was  preached  by  the  Reverend  W.  F.  Black  of 
the  Central  Church  of  Chicago.  Meetings  were  held  daily, 
except  Saturday,  for  eleven  consecutive  weeks,  at  the  end 
of  which  time,  there  was  a  membership  of  seventy-six 
persons. 

Edward  Scribner  Ames  was  the  first  pastor,  ap- 
pointed May,  1896. 

The  church  continued  to  grow  and  prosper  and  in 
1900  a  building  fund  was  begun.  The  property  known 
as  the  Plymouth  Congregational  Church  was  bought  and 
five  years  later  the  church  property  was  clear  of  all 
indebtedness,  with  an  increasing  congregation,  an  active 


CHURCHES  299 

Sunday  School,  Ladies'  Aid  Society  and  Woman's  Mis- 
sionary Society. 

The  Free  Methodist  Church  was  organized  in  1881, 
with  the  Eeverend  J.  D.  Kelsey  as  pastor. 

The  African  Methodist  Church  was  organized  in 
1882  by  the  Eeverend  George  H.  Hann.  It  had  three 
members  in  the  beginning.  Before  1900  the  membership 
had  increased  to  ninety,  and  the  society  owned  a  house 
of  worship  on  Benson  Avenue. 

The  Second  Baptist  Church  (colored)  was  organized 
in  1883  with  twenty  members,  Nathan  Branch  being  one 
of  its  founders.  In  less  than  ten  years  its  membership 
was  tripled.  The  church  building  which  had  burned  was 
rebuilt  in  1890. 


Chapter  XVI 
SCHOOLS 

DIVISION  OF  DISTRICTS.     HISTORY  OF  DISTRICT  No.  2 

IN  1787,  Congress  passed  an  ordinance  declaring 
"  schools  and  the  means  of  education  shall  be  forever 
encouraged."  In  1818,  Congress  passed  an  act  enabling 
the  people  of  Illinois  to  form  a  constitution  of  their  own, 
and  Section  16  in  every  township  was  granted  to  the  state 
for  use  of  the  inhabitants  for  the  support  of  schools. 

Alas !  Evanston  occupied  only  the  west  side  of  Town- 
ship 41  north,  Range  14  east,  and  Section  16  lay  deep 
under  the  waters  of  Lake  Michigan.  The  provision  was 
that  if  Section  16  were  not  obtainable,  a  section  in  close 
proximity  should  be  chosen,  so  a  tract  of  land  in  Section 
12,  Township  41  north,  Range  13  east,  was  chosen,  in 
place  of  the  watery  Section  16  of  Range  14  east.  This 
tract  of  land,  153.48  acres,  was  in  Niles  Township,  lying 
within  the  boundaries  of  the  present  Simpson  and  Grant 
Streets,  and  Dodge  and  Hartrey  Avenues.  In  1847,  the 
school  trustees  very  unwisely  parted  with  this  land  at 
the  minimum  government  price  of  $1.25  per  acre.  Then, 
1 ' insult  was  added  to  injury"  when  one  Samuel  Greene, 
School  Treasurer,  disappeared  with  this  and  other  money 
in  1873.  The  money,  $5,397.10,  appropriated  by  him,  was 
paid  back  by  his  bondsmen  "apparently"  in  1876,  accord- 
ing to  Harvey  B.  Hurd. 

The  earliest  record  of  schools  in  6i Ridgeville ' '  is 
under  date  of  1846  when  township  trustees  for  school 


A  Representation  of  the  Old  Log  Schoolhouse 
on  the  Ridge 


■■-'*: 


~  r&  rjm& 


Oakton  School 

Sketch  from  memory  by  J.  Seymour  Currey 


302        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

purposes  were  elected.  This  election  took  place  at  Ridge 
Road  House  four  years  before  officials  for  the  Town  of 
Ridgeville  were  elected,  and  eleven  years  before  the  Illi- 
nois school  laws  were  framed.  Before  1857,  the  public 
schools  were  not  free  schools  in  Illinois,  but  were  sub- 
scription schools. 

The  Township  Trustees  constituted  the  Board  of 
Education.  In  1848,  we  find  the  trustees  for  this  town- 
ship were  0.  A.  Crain,  E.  Bennett,  M.  Dunlap,  0.  Munn, 
Jr.,  and  George  M.  Huntoon,  Secretary  and  Treasurer, 
whose  bond  was  fixed  at  $400. 

The  school  land  sold  to  the  township  by  Henry 
Clarke,  December  1,  1846,  was  part  of  80  acres,  for  which 
Mr.  Clarke  had  paid  the  government  $100.  It  had  a  front- 
age on  Ridge  of  sixty-six  feet,  a  depth  of  three  hundred 
and  fifty  feet,  and  contained  a  little  more  than  half  an 
acre.  The  little  log  school  house  stood  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  Ridge  Avenue,  and  where  Greenleaf  Street  was 
later  cut  through.  Thirty-three  feet  were  taken  from  the 
school  and  cemetery  ground  in  1874  to  make  Greenleaf 
Street  the  proper  width. 

The  burial-ground  was  back  (west)  of  the  school 
house.  This  cemetery  continued  in  use  until  1872  when 
the  last  burial  took  place,  there  having  been  up  to  that 
time  about  a  hundred  burials  in  the ' '  grave-yard. ' '  Among 
the  burials  were  those  of  the  Burroughs,  Crains  and  Mr. 
Munn,  Sr.  In  1859  Rose  Hill  had  been  opened  for  use. 
In  her  memoirs,  Mrs.  Crain  says  that  the  log  school  house 
had  been  built  by  Samuel  Reed  and  other  pioneers  before 
she  came  to  Grosse  Point  in  1842.  The  ground  was  deeded 
to  the  township  by  Henry  Clarke. 

The  homes  nearest  the  school  were  those  of  Charles 


SCHOOLS  303 

and  Ozro  Crain.  The  Charles  Crain  home  was  on  the 
southwest  corner  of  where  Greenleaf  Street  crosses 
Kidge  Avenue.  Across  Greenleaf  Street  on  the  north- 
west corner  stood  the  old  log  school  house.  On  the  south- 
east corner  of  Greenleaf  and  Ridge  was  Charles  Crain 's 
cooperage  shop. 

In  1844,  Mrs.  Marshall  taught  a  private  or  subscrip- 
tion school  in  a  cooper  shop,  presumably  Ozro  Crain's, 
as  it  was  across  from  his  residence  on  Ridge  Avenue. 

Throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  country, 
the  one-room  school  house  which  in  most  cases  was  built 
of  logs,  was  the  forerunner  of  the  great  institutions  of 
today. 

The  little  school  house  served  not  only  as  a  place  of 
learning,  but  was  the  "meetm'  house,' '  and  the  center  of 
social  activities  as  well ;  its  pump  and  tin  cup  in  the  yard ; 
a  water-pail  and  dipper  requisites  of  the  interior.  The 
poor  lone  "school  marm"  had  a  hard  time  of  it,  trying 
to  teach  the  "young  ideas  how  to  shoot."  The  ages  of 
the  pupils  ranged  from  four  to  sixteen  or  eighteen,  and 
the  subjects  taught  were  mainly  the  three  R's.  A  great 
fire  place  at  one  side  of  the  room  furnished  the  com- 
forting warmth  during  the  cold  weather.  In  later 
years  the  huge,  round,  cast-iron  drum-stove  stood  out 
strong  against  the  gleaming  white-washed  walls,  and 
happy  was  the  pupil  who  was  allowed  to  feed  its  fiery 
interior. 

Those  were  the  days  of  apple-rolling;  the  days  of 
the  noisy  slate  and  screeching  pencil;  the  days  of  such 
games  as  "Double  Scrub,"  "Rotation,"  "Chase  the 
crowd,"  "Bull-pen,"  and  "Run,  Sheepie,  run;"  the  days 
when  each  boy  carved  his  autograph  deep  in  the  top  of 


304        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

his  desk,  that  all  who  came  later  might  learn  the  identity 
of  its  former  occupant. 

Friday  afternoons  were  times  to  be  looked  forward 
to  with  eager  anticipation,  when  some  embryo  statesman, 
with  great  gusto,  spoke  his  " piece' '  from  the  "Piece- 
book,"  or  a  future  suffragette  brought  tears  to  the  eyes 
of  the  audience,  as  she  recited,  ' '  Curfew  Shall  Not  Eing 
Tonight." 

The  Spelling  Bees  were  occasions  of  great  joy,  the 
contestants  being  lined  up  on  either  side  of  the  small 
room,  and  it  was,  perhaps,  as  much  of  an  honor  in  those 
days  for  one  to  prove  himself  the  best  speller  in  a  com- 
munity, as  it  is  today  to  be  the  proven  foot-ball  star. 

The  Singing  School  had  its  singing  master  who,  after 
going  through  a  song  several  times,  struck  the  pitch, 
sometimes  by  voice,  sometimes  by  tuning  fork,  and  the 
very  rafters  resounded  to  the  response  of  the  gladsome 
young  voices.  Usually  no  notes  accompanied  the  words 
in  the  song  books  to  guide  the  singers ;  the  singing  master 
loudly  carried  the  tune,  while  he  beat  time  with  his  arms 
and  his  whole  body  swayed  in  rhythmic  motion. 

The  evenings  of  the  pie-suppers  and  box-suppers 
were  popular  with  the  young  people,  the  boxes  being  sold 
to  the  highest  bidders.  The  young  men  very  soon  dis- 
covered that  the  fanciest  box  did  not  always  contain 
the  best  prepared  supper  and  they  made  their  bids 
accordingly. 

The  day  of  mental  discipline  had  not  yet  arrived; 
there  were  sterner  measures  taken  to  enforce  the  rules. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  an  early  teacher  in  the  old  school 
house  on  the  Eidge  bumped  the  heads  of  the  unruly  pupils 
against  the  walls. 


SCHOOLS  305 

The  exact  date  that  the  log  school  house  on  the  Ridge 
was  erected  is  not  on  record,  but  it  was  about  1841  or 
1842,  according  to  Mrs.  Crain,  who  lived  opposite  it. 
However,  there  is  a  record  of  its  needing  repairs  in  1846, 
but  when  the  trustees  had  their  meeting,  the  repairs 
asked  for  were  voted  down.  But  the  trustees  voted  at 
that  meeting  that  a  water  pail  and  dipper  should  be 
furnished. 

As  previously  stated,  the  public  schools  in  Illinois 
at  tins  time  were  not  free  schools.  A  careful  schedule 
was  kept  of  attendance  and  of  all  expenses,  teachers' 
wages,  fuel,  light,  repairs,  etc.,  and  the  head  of  each 
family  paid  according  to  the  number  of  children  in  his 
family  attending  school.  Sometimes  the  poorest  man 
paid  the  highest  tax,  if  his  family  of  children  were  the 
largest.  The  parents  were  required  to  board  the  teacher 
— '  'boarding  around/ '  it  was  termed.  The  tuition  bill 
of  a  family  varied  from  three-quarters  of  a  cent  to  six 
cents  per  day,  according  to  the  number  of  children  from 
a  family  and  the  wages  of  the  teacher. 

The  first  teacher  in  the  log  school  house  was  James 
Baker.  The  second  one  was  a  Mr.  Satchell,  who  taught 
the  a  b  c's  to  William  Carney,  son  of  Pioneer  John  Car- 
ney. William  Carney  was  on  Evanston's  police  force  in 
later  years.  The  third  teacher  was  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Smith,  said  to  be  a  "  rough  handler,  who  used  to  bang  the 
boys'  heads  against  the  walls.' ' 

A  few  years  ago,  Charles  S.  Eaddin  was  giving  a 
lecture  on  early  Evanston.  He  threw  a  view  of  the  log 
school  house  on  the  screen,  when  a  man  in  the  audience 
very  audibly  remarked,  "Many  a  good  thrashing  I  got 
there." 

20 


306       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

The  first  teacher  employed  by  the  trustees  was  Miss 
Cornelia  Wheadon  (later  Mrs.  C.  A.  Churcher),  daughter 
of  Father  Wheadon,  so  beloved  by  his  Methodist  congre- 
gation. Her  license  to  teach  was  signed  by  George  M. 
Huntoon,  Treasurer,  dated  June  1,  1846,  and  is  at  Evans- 
ton's  Historical  Library.  Miss  Wheadon 's  salary  was 
$1.25  per  week,  which  was  considered  a  very  fair  "wage" 
in  those  days.  Her  salary  in  the  same  school,  previous 
to  the  time  of  her  being  employed  by  the  trustees  was 
six  shillings  (seventy-five  cents)  per  week  for  five  weeks. 
Before  the  days  of  the  trustees  employing  the  teachers, 
Miss  Elmina  Burroughs  and  Mr.  T.  H.  Ballard  also  had 
taught  in  the  little  school  house. 

Miss  Wheadon 's  successor  was  Miss  H.  W.  Barnes, 
who  continued  teaching  for  two  years  after  her  marriage 
to  Sylvester  Hill.  Her  salary  was  somewhat  higher  than 
that  of  her  predecessors,  being  the  munificent  sum  of 
$2.00  per  week. 

During  the  winter  of  1846,  the  fire  place  of  the  little 
one-room,  log  school  house  burned  nine  cords  of  wood. 

One  teacher  by  the  name  of  Stiles  thought  the  pupils 
should  speak  louder  than  was  their  custom  and  in  order 
to  insure  this,  he  insisted  on  the  pupils  shouting  their 
recitations  that  he  might  hear  the  words  plainly  from 
across  the  street  where  he  had  taken  his  stand.  There 
probably  was  much  merriment  in  the  school  during  this 
performance  and  these  times  were  probably  hailed  with 
joy  by  the  mischievous  ones. 

That  the  log-house  had  a  floor  is  proved  by  the  fact 
that  one  time  a  wild  animal  took  up  its  lodging  beneath 
the  boards  of  the  floor  and  it  is  said  there  was  great  diffi- 
culty in  getting  it  to  take  up  other  quarters. 


SCHOOLS  307 

The  school  also  had  a  black-board,  which,  it  seems, 
was  something  to  boast  of  in  those  days. 

In  March,  1848,  it  was  voted  to  divide  the  township 
into  two  school  districts,  all  the  township  north  of  the 
south  line  of  Section  19  to  be  incorporated  in  District 
No.  1.  There  is  no  record  of  the  result  of  the  vote  on 
this  question.  In  February,  1852,  four  years  later,  the 
division  was  legally  made.  District  No.  1  comprised  the 
south  part  of  the  township  and  District  No.  2  extended 
"from  the  south  line  of  Eli  Gaffield's  farm"  to  the  north 
boundary  line.  A  later  vote,  however,  made  the  north 
District  No.  1,  "with  its  south  boundary  the  middle 
line  east  and  west  of  Section  19,' '  and  the  southern 
part,  which  had  been  District  No.  1  was  made  District 
No.  2. 

The  book  used  by  the  Directors  of  School  District 
No.  2,  beginning  with  the  date  of  September  2,  1859,  tells 
an  interesting  story,  although  the  entries  consist  only  of 
orders  on  the  treasurer  for  money  to  be  paid  out,  and 
brief  reports  of  meetings.  The  old  log  school  house  now 
served  only  for  church  services,  a  new  one-room  building 
having  been  erected  on  a  lot  on  the  west  side  of  the  Ridge, 
south  of  Main  Street,  that  was  bought  of  George  M. 
Huntoon  for  $250. 

A  "true"  copy  from  the  Poll  Book  is  the  first  entry. 
Philip  Petry,  Peter  Muno  and  Henry  Hepworth  were 
Judges  of  Election.  Henry  Hepworth  acted  as  clerk. 
School  Directors  elected  were  Henry  Hepworth,  Albert 
Dart,  Peter  Muno  and  W.  B.  Huntoon.  The  sum  of  $200 
was  to  be  levied  on  all  taxable  property  for  school 
purposes. 

Thirteen  years  before  this  date,  Miss  Wheadon  had 


308       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

been  paid  at  the  rate  of  $5.00  per  month  for  teaching, 
In  1859,  the  rate  was  considerably  higher,  being  almost 
four  times  that  amount. 

A  stove  now  was  in  use,  evidently,  as  an  entry  shows 
the  stove  pipe  was  cleaned  and  fixed :  a  fire  shovel  bought. 
Although  cord  wood  was  still  used,  a  shovel  was  needed 
for  taking  up  ashes.  With  new  blinds  for  the  windows 
and  the  walls  freshly  white-washed,  the  place  was  ready 
for  the  opening  of  the  fall  term. 

Harvey  B.  Hurd's  name  now  appears  as  school  treas- 
urer. An  order  on  the  treasurer  in  1861  shows  that  Miss 
Minnie  Holcomb  received  $18.00  per  month.  In  Novem- 
ber, a  man  teacher  was  employed,  William  Wheeler,  at 
$25.00  per  month.  By  1862,  the  wages  of  the  man  teacher 
had  risen  to  $30.00  per  month.  The  women  still  received 
less  than  the  men.  Phidelia  Burroughs  in  1863  received 
$20.00  per  month. 

In  this  year  charges  of  cruelty  were  preferred 
against  a  man  teacher,  but  the  case  was  dismissed,  as 
proof  was  not  sufficiently  satisfactory. 

A  well  was  dug  and  curbed. 

Cornelia  Wheeler  received  $20.00  per  month  for 
teaching,  in  1865. 

Six  cords  of  wood  were  bought  at  $36.00.  The  same 
were  sawed  at  $1.00  per  cord. 

Under  Miss  Bartlett's  tutelage,  the  curriculum  was 
extended,  and  a  globe  was  needed  and  furnished. 

Notices  of  election  of  directors  were  posted  on  the 
school  house,  Oakton  Depot  and  on  the  oak  tree  in  front 
of  Peter  Muno's  house,  the  election  to  take  place  July 
12,  1865. 

In  1866,  G.  M.  Huntoon  took  the  school  census. 


SCHOOLS '  309 

0.  F.  Gibbs  insured  the  school  house  January,  1866. 
The  premium  on  the  policy  was  $4.50. 

In  September,  1866,  the  school  taxes  were  raised  to 
$400. 

In  1867,  it  was  recommended  school  should  be  kept 
open  ten  months  during'  the  ensuing  year,  and  the  school 
taxes  should  not  exceed  $800. 

Eight  hundred  fifty  dollars  was  needed  for  repairs 
on  the  school,  and  bonds  were  issued.  One  was  issued  to 
Superintendent  of  Public  Schools  of  Cook  County  at  10% 
per  annum,  six  months'  interest  to  be  paid  in  advance, 
and  deducted. 

Desks  were  bought  for  $322.00,  and  two  stoves  at 
$32.50,  with  $13.00  added  for  setting  them  up.  Cedar 
posts  came  from  Mears,  Bales  and  Company. 

Although  the  directors  talked  of  selecting  a  more 
central  site,  the  idea  was  abandoned  and  the  little 
one-room  school  house  was  moved  back  and  another 
room  added.  Two  teachers '  services  were  now  required, 
the  woman,  Arelia  Ferry,  received  $36.00  per  month, 
and  the  man  teacher,  M.  E.  Brewster,  $75.00  per 
month. 

The  janitor  was  paid  the  princely  sum  of  one  dollar 
per  week. 

School  taxes  rose  to  $1,200  in  1868. 

New  wood  boxes  were  needed  and  made. 

In  1869,  James  S.  Kirk's  name  appears  as  one  of  the 
directors. 

Children  attending  school  from  outside  the  district 
were  required  to  pay  fifty  cents  per  month. 

Mr.  Brewster's  salary  nowT  reached  $90.00  per  month. 

Blackboard  and  chalk  were  bought. 


310       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

In  1870,  the  names  of  F.  M.  McLaughlin,  0.  F.  Gibbs, 
N.  G.  Iglehart  and  S.  Goodenow  appear  as  directors. 

A.  W.  Shuman's  salary  reached  the  top  notch  of 
salaries  in  the  old  record  book.  He  received  an  even 
$100.00  per  month  in  1871.  Josephine  Gibbs  received 
$35.00  per  month  in  1873. 

Samuel  Greene's  name  appears  as  treasurer  in  1870. 
He  was  elected  in  1868. 

In  1873,  there  was  a  balance  in  the  treasurer's  hands 
of  $1,185.79.  The  story  is  cut  short  as  a  dozen  or  more 
leaves  have  been  clipped  from  the  book,  but  from  another 
book  we  learn  Samuel  Greene  disappeared  with  over 
$5,000.00,  which  amount  was  afterwards  paid  back.  This 
amount  was  probably  paid  by  his  bondsmen. 

The  first  regular  school  tax  was  levied  in  1856,  fifty 
cents  on  each  hundred  dollars  of  taxable  property. 

The  first  recorded  school  census  was  in  1857.  All 
white  children  under  21  were  enumerated.  C.  Thomas 
took  the  census,  receiving  six  dollars  for  the  work. 

In  the  year  of  1871,  a  four-room,  brick  building  was 
erected  on  Lincoln  Avenue  (now  Main  Street),  and  Ben- 
son Avenue  (now  Elmwood  Avenue),  and  called  Central 
School.  The  cost  of  the  building  was  $18,000.  In  1890, 
it  was  enlarged  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.00. 

In  1893,  during  a  school  session,  fire  broke  out  and 
completely  destroyed  the  building.  Several  persons  were 
injured,  but  no  one  was  killed.  By  great  presence  of  mind 
and  heroic  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  teachers,  the  chil- 
dren were  marched  from  the  schoolrooms  to  safety.  Miss 
Jenny  Foster  taught  the  first  grade  children  at  the  time. 
She  formed  them  in  line  and  guided  them  without  mishap 
through  the  smoke  and  out  of  the  burning  building.   Sam 


SCHOOLS  311 

Mack,  who  ran  an  express  business  in  the  south  end  of 
town,  caught  several  of  the  children  who  jumped  from 
the  second  story,  thus  saving  them  not  only  from  broken 
arms  and  legs,  but  probably  from  death.  He  was  injured 
and  taken  to  the  hospital.  Samuel  Harrison,  in  later 
years  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Evanston,  made  a  heroic 
dash  into  the  burning  building  and  saved  a  little  girl 
scarcely  a  moment  before  the  roof  caved  in.  A  fountain 
erected  in  1901  stands  in  the  school  yard,  a  memorial  to 
the  bravery  of  the  teachers  and  to  the  men  who  gave 
such  noble  assistance. 

Another  building  was  immediately  put  up  costing 
$47,000.00,  the  pupils  under  eighth  grade  occupying 
rented  rooms  during  the  construction,  and  the  eighth 
grade  pupils  going  to  the  High  School  building  on  Demp- 
ster Street. 

The  Lincoln  School  was  erected  in  1886  on  Lincoln 
Avenue,  as  Main  Street  was  then  called.  In  1891,  Lincoln 
Avenue  became  Evanston  Avenue  and  this  was  changed 
to  Main  Street  probably  when  South  Evanston  was 
annexed  to  Evanston  in  1892. 

In  1895,  the  four  rooms  becoming  inadequate  for  the 
increased  number  of  pupils  in  the  neighborhood,  the 
beautiful  Lincoln  School  building,  similar  in  architecture 
to  the  Central  School  building,  was  erected,  the  cost 
being  the  same  as  that  of  the  Central  School,  $47,000.00. 

Lincoln  School  probably  received  its  name,  as  did 
several  other  schools  in  Evanston,  from  the  street  on 
which  it  was  located,  and  most  likely  retained  it,  when 
the  name  of  the  street  was  changed,  by  suggestion  of  Miss 
Nellie  Sickles,  a  teacher  in  the  south  end  schools. (1) 

(1)      Miss   Sickles  died   in   1925.      She  had   been   a   teacher  in   Evanston  for 
over  thirty-five  years. 


312       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

On  the  northwest  corner  of  Ashland  Avenue  and 
Main  Street,  in  1900,  another  school  building  was  built. 
This  was  Washington  School,  whose  cost  was  $35,000.00. 

These  school  buildings  can  scarcely  be  improved 
upon,  either  in  architecture  or  equipment. 


Frederick  W.  Nichols 

Lyndon  Evans  was  elected  superintendent  of  South 
Evanston  school  in  1884.  The  superintendent  in  charge 
of  the  schools  of  District  No.  2,  preceding  Mr.  Nichols, 
was  Professor  Scudder.  Professor  Frederick  W.  Nichols 
came  to  the  Evanston  schools  in  the  capacity  of  super- 
intendent of  District  No.  2  in  September,  1886,  from  the 


SCHOOLS  313 

Kensington  School  (now  in  Chicago),  where  he  had  been 
superintendent  from  1883  to  1886.  He  remained  in 
Evanston  until  1893,  when  he  took  charge  of  the  Springer 
School  in  Hyde  Park,  remaining  four  years.  In  1897, 
Professor  Nichols  was  again  induced  to  return  to  Evans- 
ton,  and  is  still  at  the  head  of  District  No.  76,  which  com- 
prises four  schools,  Central,  Lincoln,  Washington  and 
Oakton.  These  schools  have  reached  a  high  plane  of  effi- 
ciency under  his  wise  direction,  many  families  taking  up 
their  residence  in  Evanston  that  their  children  might 
take  advantage  of  the  fine  school  system  inaugurated  by 
him.  His  love  for  the  artistic  shows  itself  in  the  sur- 
roundings of  the  school  buildings,  as  well  as  in  the  inter- 
ior decorations.  The  pupils  have  been  encouraged  in  the 
line  of  art,  and  their  work  has  been  placed  on  exhibition 
many  times  at  the  Woman's  Club  and  other  places. 

There  is  yet  another  school  of  the  south  end  of  town 
to  be  mentioned,  the  Illinois  Industrial  School  for  Girls, 
which  was  situated  at  the  corner  of  Main  Street  and 
Sheridan  Road.  This  school  was  organized  in  1877  and 
while  it  received  girls  from  all  parts  of  the  state,  it  was 
not  a  state  organization,  but  was  maintained  by  charity. 
A  bill  was  passed  in  1879,  which  insured  it  legal  protec- 
tion. The  surplus  funds  of  the  Woman's  Centennial 
Association  of  Illinois  were  used  for  the  benefit  of  des- 
titute girls  and  the  school  was  a,  direct  outgrowth  of  this 
organization.  Mrs.  John  L.  Beveridge  was  an  active  pro- 
moter in  the  organizing  of  the  school,  and  its  first  presi- 
dent, Mrs.  R.  M.  Wallace  (wife  of  General  Wallace)  was 
president  in  the  nineties.  Each  county  paid  $10  per 
month  for  each  girl  it  sent.  There  were  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  girls  in  the   school  in  the  early  nineties.    If  a 


314       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

reliable  family  desired  one  of  the  girls  to  assist  in  the 
housework  it  paid  $1.25  per  week  to  the  home,  and  the 
total  amount  paid  for  her  work  was  carefully  credited  to 
the  girl's  account  and  presented  to  her  upon  her  dis- 
charge from  the  school. 

Permanent  buildings  were  erected  in  Park  Eidge  a 
little  after  1900,  and  the  home  was  moved  to  this  location. 
This  building  had  been  previously  the  Soldiers'  Home, 
which  was  moved  to  Quincy,  Illinois. 


Chapter  XVII 
SCHOOLS— (Continued) 

DISTEICT  No.  1 
VILLAGE   HIGH    SCHOOL.      EVANSTON   TOWNSHIP   HIGH   SCHOOL 

A  LL  the  school  records  of  District  No.  1,  previous  to 
Jr\  1872,  were  destroyed  in  the  Chicago  fire.  The  first 
school  house  in  District  No.  1,  later  District  75,  was  built 
in  1842,  and  antedated  the  log  school  house  on  the  Ridge, 
according  to  Benjamin  Franklin  Hill  in  his  talk  before 
the  Evanston  Historical  Society  on  May  31,  1902.  This 
school  was  a  one-story  building  north  of  the  line  of 
Church  Street  and  east  of  the  present  Maple  Avenue. 
After  a  time  another  story  was  added  to  the  school,  but 
even  the  two  rooms  proved  inadequate  in  a  few  years 
and  in  1859  or  1860  the  little  building  was  replaced  by  a 
two-story  structure  on  Benson  Avenue  between  Clark 
and  Church  Streets,  and  became  known  as  the  Benson 
Avenue  School.  Its  location  was  said  to  be  in  the  exact 
geographical  center  of  the  district.  Henry  M.  Bannister, 
son  of  the  Reverend  Henry  Bannister  of  Garrett  Biblical 
Institute,  tells  us  that  the  school  building  was  moved  a 
block  south  a  short  time  later  and  raised  on  posts,  where 
a  semi-tornado  blew  it  off  its  supporting  pillars.  He  also 
tells  us  of  a  teacher  in  the  original  school  who  would  toss 
a  ruler  to  a  disorderly  pupil  and  request  him  to  return 
it,  when  he  would  receive  a  sharp  slap  on  the  palm  of 
the  hand  with  it. 

After  the  tornado,  the  building  was  repaired  and 


316        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

served  until  about  1870,  when  wings  were  added  to  the 
north  and  south  sides.  When  the  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul 
Railroad  bought  the  ground  in  1888,  the  school  had  to  be 
moved,  as  it  stood  directly  in  the  right  of  way.  It  was 
necessary  to  divide  it  for  the  moving  process  into  three 
sections  and  the  main  part  of  the  building  was  destroyed 
at  this  time.  Its  new  location  was  on  the  south  side  of 
Emerson  Street,  west  of  Maple  Avenue.  The  first  little 
building  was  moved  to  1618  Orrington  Avenue,  where  it 
stood  many  years,  the  first  floor  used  as  a  Chinese  laun- 
dry, and  the  upper  story  serving  as  a  polling  place.  The 
Haven  School  was  erected  at  Church  Street  and  Sher- 
man Avenue,  to  take  the  place  of  the  Benson  Avenue 
School. 

In  the  Benson  Avenue  School  many  persons  of  more 
than  local  renown  taught.  Among  them  were  Frances 
Willard,  in  1862 ;  Mary  Bannister,  who  married  Frances 
Willard 's  brother  Oliver,  editor  of  the  Chicago  Evening 
Post;  Mary  E.  Willard,  who  supplied  for  a  few  weeks; 
Jenny  L.  Wells  (Mrs.  Thomas  Craven) ;  Mary  Woodford 
(Mrs.  Merrill). 

Frances  Willard  said  that  teaching  in  this  school 
was  the  hardest  work  she  had  ever  done.  Many  of  the 
pupils  were  mischievous  and  she  had  to  resort  to  the  use 
of  the  stick.  One  day  she  started  toward  two  unruly  boys 
with  it,  when  they  vaulted  through  an  open  window  and 
never  returned.  One  man  teacher  was  said  to  quell  the 
spirits  of  the  rebellious  ones  by  tossing  them  to  the  ceil- 
ing. However,  teaching  in  the  school  had  its  compensa- 
tions. Miss  Willard  said  that  the  sweetest  music  she 
heard  during  her  teaching  years  was  the  song  her  pupils 
sang  of  the  patter  of  the  raindrops,  while  they  accom- 


Dempster  Street  School,  1875 
Sketch  from  pencil  drawing  made  by  Miss  Jessie  Bradley  from  memory 

(Inset)  Miss  Sargent 


Hinman  Avenue  School 


318       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

panied  themselves  with  drumming  of  their  fingers  on 
their  desks,  in  imitation  of  the  falling  rain. 

Not  far  from  this  school  stood  Ben  Peeney's  saw- 
mill, the  gentle  hum  of  which  could  be  heard  for  blocks 
around.  No  more  welcome  sound  ever  reached  the  ears  of 
the  Benson  Avenue  School  pupils  than  the  shrill  whistle 
of  the  saw  mill  at  noon.  Books  and  slates  were  instantly 
laid  aside,  as  their  owners  suddenly  realized  that  there 
was  "an  empty  sort  of  feeling' '  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  stomach  that  could  only  be  done  away  with  by  par- 
taking of  the  contents  of  one  of  Mother's  well-filled 
baskets,  or  by  indulging  in  one  of  her  substantial  and 
home-cooked  dinners. 

"Jim"  Tait's  wagon  shop  and  "Dan"  Bowdish's 
blacksmith  shop  were  also  in  the  same  block  with  the 
school. 

In  1870,  two  school  lots  were  purchased  one  on 
Noyes  Street  where  the  North  Ridge  School  was  built, 
and  one  on  Hinman  Avenue  and  Dempster  Street,  the 
site  of  the  old  Dempster  Street  School.  The  Noyes  Street 
School,  or  North  Ridge  School,  as  it  was  called,  was  a  one- 
story,  two-room  wooden  building,  which  was  removed  in, 
1892  to  give  place  to  a  two-story,  eight-room  building. 
George  Romyne  Kline  won  a  prize  in  the  old  North  Ridge 
School  for  being  the  best  speller.  He  was  very  proud  of 
his  prize,  the  picture  of  George  Washington,  and  took 
great  pleasure  in  exhibiting  it  in  later  years.  Mr.  Kline 
was  Tax  Collector  in  Evanston  in  1898,  1899  and  1900. 
His  father,  Simon  Veder  Kline,  had  also  held  public  office 
in  Evanston  at  various  times,  being  Township  Assessor, 
Township  Collector  and  Village  Trustee.  The  Kline  home 
was  across  the  road  from  Buck-Eye  Hotel. 


SCHOOLS  319 

There  is  no  record  of  the  names  of  the  earliest  teach- 
ers of  the  district.  The  names  of  Echenbracht  and  Ed- 
wards are  found  among  the  early  principals.  Under  the 
administration  of  Charles  Raymond,  who  was  the  first  to 
bear  the  title  of  superintendent,  the  schools  were  first 
graded  and  order  was  brought  out  of  chaos.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Otis  E.  Haven,  son  of  Bishop  Haven,  in  1873, 
" under  whose  nine  years'  administration  the  s_chools 
were  brought  to  their  utmost  efficiency, ' '  according  to  the 
report  of  District  No.  1  published  in  1892.  Mr.  Haven 
taught  the  highest  grade  in  the  Benson  Avenue  School, 
his  room  being  called  the  High  School,  which  he  is  cred- 
ited with  having  organized.  Strenuous  objection  was 
raised  by  some  of  the  tax  payers  to  organizing  a  public 
High  School,  as  they  said  that  anyone  wishing  a  higher 
education  than  the  grade  schools  afforded  could  go  into 
his  own  pocket  to  pay  for  it.  Dr.  Haven  had  forty  pupils 
enrolled  in  his  room  in  1873.  The  High  School  term  was 
three  years  only,  but  before  Mr.  Haven  left  the  school 
he  had  arranged  a  four-year  program,  which  went  into 
effect  the  last  year  of  the  Village  High  School.  The 
science  classes  were  all  under  one  teacher  in  the  early 
years.  In  1876,  Dr.  Haven  graduated  two  pupils,  Ellen 
Pryor  and  Thomas  S.  Noyes. 

In  1873  the  grammer  grades  and  High  School  were 
in  the  Benson  Avenue  building,  and  all  the  primary 
grades  were  housed  in  the  Dempster  Street  building, 
there  being  380  enrolled  in  the  lower  grades  at  Benson 
Avenue,  and  forty-nine  in  the  primary  grades  at  the 
Dempster  Street  School.  In  1877,  owing  to  the  crowded 
condition  of  the  Benson  Avenue  School,  the  High  School 
classes  were  removed  to  Jones  Hall  on  Davis   Street. 


320       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

J.  Scott  Clark  became  the  first  principal  of  the  High 
School  in  1879.  Miss  Ellen  White  was  engaged  in  1879, 
the  first  German  teacher.  The  first  writing  teacher  was 
A.  J.  Cole,  hired  in  1881.  There  were  eight  teachers  in 
the  two  schools. 

Eeturning  to  the  early  days  of  these  two  schools,  we 
find  Miss  Celia  Sargent  began  teaching  in  the  Dempster 
Street  School  in  1873.  She  continued  to  teach  for  fifty 
years,  without  one  year  of  absence,  numbering  among  her 
pupils  many  whose  names  are  known  the  world  over.  She 
was  well  loved  by  her  young  charges,  who  recalled  in  later 
years  that  her  gentle  methods  of  ruling  were  extremely 
original  and  thoroughly  effective,  and  no  harsh  measures 
were  necessary. 

Miss  Nanny  Hines  began  teaching  in  the  Benson 
Avenue  School  in  1873. 

By  1879  the  three  schools  were  inadequate  to  accom- 
modate the  increasing  number  of  children  in  the  district, 
and  a  lot  was  purchased  on  Wesley  Avenue,  on  which  a 
large,  one-story  brick  building  was  erected  in  1882.  This 
was  known  as  the  Wesley  Avenue  School  until  1900,  when 
the  name  was  changed  to  David  B.  Dewey  School,  in 
honor  of  one  of  Evanston's  prominent  citizens  and  a 
member  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  many  years. 

In  1881,  the  old  Dempster  Street  School  building  was 
removed  to  Benson  Avenue  near  Clark  Street,  and  used 
as  a  church  by  the  Second  Baptist  congregation  until  it 
was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1889.  A  second  school  house 
having  four  rooms  was  built  on  the  original  site  of  the 
Dempster  Street  School  in  the  same  year,  1881,  and  was 
known  as  the  Hinman  Avenue  School.  Miss  Nanny  Hines 
was  transferred  from  the  Benson  Avenue  School  to  the 


SCHOOLS  321 

new  Hinman  Avenue  School  and  made  principal,  in  1881. 
In  1891,  two  rooms  were  added  to  the  building  and  in 
1898  another  larger  building  was  erected  on  the  site.  As 
the  building  was  not  finished  by  September,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  house  the  pupils  elsewhere.  Several  of  the  grades 
wrent  to  the  Withington  School,  formerly  a  private  school 
and  later  a  cafeteria.  Miss  Hines  taught  her  class  in  a 
hall  on  Davis  Street,  and  Miss  Sargent  took  her  class  to 
Lincoln  School,  the  children  who  lived  at  a  distance  being 
taken  to  the  latter  place  in  a  bus,  which  met  them  at  the 
Avenue  House.  This  school  received  its  third  name  in 
1910,  at  the  death  of  Mr.  Miller,  a  member  of  the  School 
Board  for  twenty-seven  years,  and  became  the  H.  H.  C. 
Miller  School.  Mr.  Miller  was  the  first  president  of  the 
board  to  be  chosen  by  popular  election. 

Miss  Nanny  Hines  resigned  in  1909,  after  having 
served  twenty-eight  consecutive  years  in  the  same  school, 
and  eight  years  in  the  Benson  Avenue  School,  a  record 
of  thirty-six  years  of  faithful  work.  Harry  P.  Pearsons, 
a  former  pupil  of  Miss  Hines,  and  later  a  mayor  of 
Evanston  for  ten  years,  says  of  Miss  Hines,  "My  thank- 
fulness steadily  increases  as  I  come  more  and  more  to 
realize  what  a  force  she  has  been,  not  only  in  my  life, 
but  in  the  life  of  Evanston,  for  Evanston  is  now  known 
as  the  Athens  of  the  West,  largely  because  of  what  Miss 
Hines  has  made  of  Evanston  children." 

The  Larimer  School,  named  for  Joseph  Larimer,  a 
member  of  the  School  Board,  was  erected  on  Crain  Street 
in  1894.  Miss  Jessie  L.  Luther  was  the  first  principal. 

The  pamphlet  on  the  "Regulations  and  Course  of 
Study  for  the  Government  of  the  Public  Schools  of 
Evanston,  Illinois,  Revised  June   1879,"   shows   0.   E. 

21  9  ' 


322       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Haven,  M.  A.,  Superintendent;  High  School  teachers, 
E.  J.  James,  Ph.  D.,  Principal,  and  Miss  Jennie  P.  Fisk, 
Assistant;  teachers  in  Grammar  Schools,  Miss  Helen  E. 
Amos,  Eighth  Grade;  Miss  Agnes  S.  Hinman,  Seventh 
Grade;  Miss  Nannie  M.  Hines,  Sixth  Grade;  Miss  Alice 
Kitchell,  Fifth  Grade ;  teachers  in  Primary  Schools,  Miss 
Mary  C.  Adams,  Third  and  Fourth  Grades ;  Miss  M.  E. 
Offutt,  First  and  Second  Grades;  Miss  Celia  Sargent, 
First  and  Second  Grades.  Slates  were  used  in  the  first 
grade,  and  physical  exercises  were  part  of  the  day's  work. 
Among  the  text-books,  Monteith's  Elementary  Geog- 
raphy was  used  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  grades,  Bobin- 
son's  Arithmetic  in  fifth,  sixth  and  seventh  grades,  and 
Greene's  Grammar  in  sixth,  seventh  and  eighth  grades. 

The  pamphlet  on  the  course  of  study,  published  in 
1884,  shows  George  S.  Baker,  superintendent.  He  re- 
signed after  four  years  to  take  up  law.  Homer  H.  Kings- 
ley  succeeded  Mr.  Baker  in  1886. 

Credit  is  due  Mr.  Kingsley,  to  a  large  extent,  for  the 
introduction  of  the  kindergarten  in  1892,  manual  training 
in  1897,  and  domestic  science  about  the  same  time.  The 
kindergarten  in  connection  with  the  public  schools  was 
a  new  idea,  and  Evanston  was  one  of  the  first  cities  to 
try  out  the  plan. 

Mrs.  Louise  P.  Stanwood  was  the  first  woman  to 
serve  on  the  School  Board  in  District  No.  1. 

Before  resuming  the  history  of  the  High  School, 
which  was  not  organized  as  a  Village  High  School  until 
1876,  an  early  private  school  must  be  mentioned  that  had 
an  existence  of  but  four  years.  This  school,  called  the 
Grove  Street  School,  was  founded  in  1863,  and  was 
opened  January  6,  1864.  Edwin  Haskin,  the  founder,  felt 


SCHOOLS  323 

that  the  old  Benson  Avenue  School,  with  its  two  ungraded 
rooms,  did  not  afford  the  educational  facilities  that  he 
wished  his  own  six  children  to  have.  Other  children  in 
the  neighborhood  attended  this  school  and  shared  its 
advantages  with  the  Haskin  children.  The  first  principal 
was  Miss  Minerva  Bruce,  and  her  assistant  was  Miss 
Susan  Warner.  The  Reverend  Henry  Bannister,  John 
Clough  and  Edwin  Haskin  were  the  directors.  The  school 
derived  its  name  from  the  beautiful  grove  of  gigantic  oak 
trees  that  grew  within  the  block  bounded  by  Grove  and 
Davis  Streets  and  Hinman  and  Judson  Avenues,  where 
the  school  was  located.  Frances  Willard,  Kate  Kidder, 
Kate  Jackson,  Anna  Fisk  and  Emma  B.  White  were 
some  of  the  teachers.  Numbered  among  its  pupils  were 
Ella  Bannister,  Lizzie  White,  Alice  Judson,  Rebecca 
Hoag,  Annie  Marcy,  Charlie  and  Walter  Haskin,  Addison 
DeCoudries,  George  Bragdon,  Henry  Ten  Eyck  White, 
Will  Somers  and  Frank  Dennison,  who  was  killed  by  the 
cars  on  his  way  home  from  school  one  evening.  The 
school  building  was  remodeled  and  turned  into  a  resi- 
dence after  having  served  in  its  original  capacity  four 
years. 

The  district  lost  its  name  of  District  No.  1  in  1901, 
and  became  District  75  of  Cook  County,  Illinois. 

The  Village  High  School  was  legally  established  in 
1875.  However,  previous  to  this  date,  Dr.  Haven  had 
introduced  high  school  studies  in  the  eighth  grade.  There 
had  been  strong  opposition  to  the  idea  of  a  high  school, 
as  it  was  thought  that  the  Northwestern  Academy  could 
accomplish  all  that  a  high  school  could  do  to  prepare 
pupils  for  college.  For  several  years  the  school  had  no 
regular  accommodations,  being  first  housed  in  Lyons' 


324       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Hall,(1)  then  going  from  hall  to  hall,  where  its  work  was 
greatly  hampered  by  cramped  and  uncomfortable  quar- 
ters entirely  nnsuited  to  school  purposes.  From  the 
beginning  its  scholarship  had  a  high  standard,  and  its 
graduates  entered  several  of  the  best  colleges.  Among  its 
early  teachers  was  Dr.  E.  J.  James,  later  President  of 
the  University  of  Illinois.  In  1879  he  was  succeeded  by 
J.  Scott  Clark,  later  Professor  of  English  in  Northwest- 
ern University. 

In  less  than  a  half  dozen  years,  Evanston  realized 
the  value  of  a  High  School.  When  a  Township  High 
School  was  suggested  in  1881,  the  suggestion  was  received 
with  great  favor.  A  meeting  was  called,  headed  by  John 
L.  Beveridge,  L.  C.  Pitner  and  H.  A.  Pearsons,  to  discuss 
the  matter.  The  question  of  establishing  a  Township 
High  School  was  submitted  to  the  legal  voters  of  the 
township,  with  the  result  of  611  votes  cast  in  favor  of  it 
and  147  against  it. 

Henry  Leonidas  Boltwood  is  known  as  the  Father  of 
the  Township  High  School  in  Illinois.  He  organized  the 
first  school  of  its  kind  in  Princeton,  Bureau  County,  in 
1867,  and  another  township  high  school  in  Ottawa,  La 
Salle  County,  in  1878.  In  1883,  he  organized  his  third 
township  high  school,  which  was  in  Evanston,  where  he 
remained  as  principal  until  his  death  twenty-two  years 
later.  He  had  been  appointed  a  member  of  the  Illinois 
State  Board  of  Education  in  1876  and  served  for  eight 
years.  In  1891  he  was  elected  President  of  the  State 
Teachers'  Association.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  had 
been  a  teacher  in  the  east  and  middle  west  fifty-three 
years. 

(1)      Named    for    Joseph    McGee    Lyons,    a    banker,    who    was    a    resident    of 
Evanston  for  forty-two  years. 


SCHOOLS 


325 


The  site  proposed  for  the  Evanston  Township  High 
School  was  at  the  corner  of  Benson  Avenue  (Elmwood 
Avenue)  and  Dempster  Street,  250  feet  on  Benson  Ave- 
nue and  200  feet  on  Dempster  Street.  The  question  of 
site  was  put  to  vote  and  there  were  176  votes  cast  in 
favor  of  the  site  to  two  against  it.  The  cost  of  the  ground 
was  sixteen  dollars  per  front  foot,  which  amounted  to 


Evanston  Township  High  School 


$4,000.  The  ground  was  very  low — it  had  been  a  cow 
pasture — and  the  work  of  filling  in  cost  $2,000.  The  con- 
tract price  of  the  building  was  $32,500.  The  entire  bond 
issue  for  the  purchase  of  the  land,  erection  of  the  build- 
ing and  equipment  of  the  same  with  furniture  was 
$40,000,  as  shown  by  the  records  of  that  time.  Ground 
was  broken  October  18,  1882,  and  the  completed  building 


326       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

was  dedicated  August  31,  1883,  less  than  a  year  later. 
School  opened  September  3,  1883,  with  the  following 
teachers :  Henry  L.  Boltwood,  Principal;  Lyndon  Evans, 
A.  B.  (Knox),  Science;  Eva  S.  Edwards,  Mathematics; 
Mary  L.  Barrie,  Latin  and  English ;  Ellen  L.  White,  Ger- 
man and  History;  0.  H.  Merwin,  Music.  Music  was 
retained  in  the  school  only  three  years. 

Two  days  before  the  Christmas  vacation  in  1883,  the 
first  year  the  school  was  occupied,  it  was  found  that  there 
was  a  fire  raging  in  each  of  the  three  flues  in  the  west 
half  of  the  building.  Miss  Eveline  S.  Edwards,  a  teacher 
in  the  old  Village  High  School  and  for  thirty-five  years 
a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  Evanston  Township  High 
School,  gives  a  fine  account  in  a  News-Index  article  of 
December  3,  1924,  of  the  way  the  pupils  conducted  them- 
selves at  the  time  of  the  fire.  She  says  there  was  no  fire 
drill  in  those  days,  yet  there  was  no  excitement,  no  crowd- 
ing. Each  one  quietly  secured  his  possessions  and  went 
out,  while  the  older  boys  tried  to  save  the  few  pieces  of 
apparatus  in  the  school  room.  The  Evanston  Fire  De- 
partment did  all  it  could,  but  Chicago  was  called  upon 
for  help.  The  fire  was  so  hidden  in  the  partitions  that 
it  was  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  before  the  firemen 
dared  to  leave.  Repairs  were  not  completed  when  vaca- 
tion was  over,  but  all  the  classes  were  taken  care  of  in 
the  east  half  of  the  building,  two  teachers  sometimes 
hearing  recitations  in  the  same  room. 

The  enrollment  for  the  year  of  1883-1884  was  one 
hundred  fifty-five. 

In  1885,  five  sets  of  examination  papers  were  sent 
to  the  State  Pair  exhibit.  Three  of  these  took  first  prizes 
of  five  dollars  each.   In  1886,  eight  out  of  ten  took  first 


SCHOOLS  327 

prizes  and  the  other  two  took  seconds,  besides  two 
1  <  sweep-stake ' '  prizes  for  the  best  six  and  best  ten  sets. 
In  seven  successive  years  the  school  carried  off  the  high- 
est honors,  and  the  cash  received,  $424,  was  used  for 
buying  pictures,  casts,  and  books  for  the  library.  The 
system  of  awarding  prizes  was  then  changed,  and  the 
school  has  not  competed  since. 

New  Trier  Township  paid  a  tuition  of  $1,525 
for  pupils  attending  the  Evanston  Township  High 
School  from  Wilmette,  Winnetka,  Kenilworth,  and 
Glencoe,  while  its  own  school  building  was  under  con- 
struction. 

Manual  training  was  introduced  in  the  school  in 
1886,  with  equipment  for  a  class  of  twelve,  and  twenty 
enrolled  in  the  class !  Each  pupil  paid  twenty-five  cents 
per  week  for  instruction  outside  of  school  hours  to  T.  E. 
Skinner.  Short  daylight  hours  interfered  with  the  work 
in  winter,  and  athletics  interfered  with  it  in  mild  weather, 
so  the  work  was  dropped  for  several  years.  In  1900  it 
was  made  a  part  of  the  school  curriculum.  Typewriting 
was  introduced,  but  the  study  of  it  was  left  to  the  option 
of  the  pupil.  Clay  modeling  had  been  introduced  in  1885 
and  later  dropped  for  lack  of  space.  It  was  taken  up 
again  in  1889.  Great  interest  was  shown  in  the  citizenship 
classes.  On  two  presidential  election  days,  the  students 
went  through  the  form  of  holding  elections.  Historic  Art 
was  introduced  in  1887  and  it  has  proved  itself  to  be  one 
of  the  most  satisfactory  studies  of  the  course.  The  draw- 
ing department,  under  Miss  Edwards  in  the  early  days, 
was  a  success  from  its  beginning. 

In  1891,  an  addition  was  built  to  the  High  School. 
The  cost  of  this  was  $22,000. 


SCHOOLS  329 

In  1893  there  was  a  vacancy  in  the  High  School  for 
a  Greek  and  Latin  instructor.  A  young  man  called  on  Mr. 
Boltwood  in  regard  to  the  position.  "  Pretty  young V9 
queried  Mrs.  Boltwood  after  the  applicant  had  gone.  Yes, 
he  was  pretty  young,  thought  Mr.  Boltwood,  but  well 
qualified  for  the  place.  Thirty-four  years  have  proved 
that  Mr.  Boltwood  was  right  in  his  choice  of  an  instruc- 
tor, who  was  Wilfred  Fitch  Beardsley,  present  Principal 
of  the  High  School.  The  following  is  taken  from  the 
(Northwestern)  College  Alumni  Eecord,  page  233 :  "Wil- 
fred Fitch  Beardsley.  Born  at  Albion,  Wisconsin.  Pre- 
pared in  Northwestern  University  Academy.  A.  B.  Beta 
Theta  Pi;  Phi  Beta  Kappa.  Deering  Prize.  Graduate 
student,  Johns  Hopkins  University,  1898-99.  Instructor 
in  Greek  and  Latin,  Evanston  Township  High  School, 
1893-98 ;  Assistant  Principal,  1899-1900 ;  Associate  Prin- 
cipal, 1900 — "  Mr.  Beardsley(2)  was  Associate  Principal 
until  1906,  when  he  became  Principal  at  the  death  of  Mr. 
Boltwood. 

The  enrollment  of  the  High  School  in  1903  was  four 
hundred  twenty. 


(2)      In   June.    1927,   the   honorary   degree   of   Doctor   of    Humane    Letters   was 
awarded  Mr.  Beardsley  by  Northwestern  University. 


Chapter  XVIII 
LIBRARIES 

TO  a  rude  cabin  'mongst  the  primeval  forest  trees,  in 
1837,  came  the  first  collection  of  books  to  this  region, 
brought  from  the  east  by  a  woman  of  education, 
Mrs.  Rebecca  Mulford,  wife  of  Major  Mulford,  the 
"gentleman  pioneer."  The  early  settlers  brought  to 
their  new  homes  only  necessities,  but  books  to  Mrs.  Mul- 
ford came  under  that  head,  and  not  under  the  head  of 
luxuries. 

The  first  Sunday  School  library  was  a  collection  of 
fifty  books  presented  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday 
School,  about  1854,  by  the  same  lady.  This  Sunday 
School  had  been  started  in  the  old  Mulford  cabin  and  was 
later  moved  to  the  log  school-house  on  the  Ridge.  Mrs. 
Mulford — later  prominent  in  the  Baptist  Church — 
was  at  one  time  superintendent,  librarian  and  choir 
leader.  Among  the  books  of  Major  Mulford 's  private 
library  were  John  Quincy  Adams,  by  W.  H.  Seward; 
Macaulay's  History  of  England;  Wabun,  by  Mrs.  John 
Kinzie;  the  old  family  Bible,  dated  1813,  the  date  of 
Major  Mulford 's  marriage,  and  other  good  books. 

In  Major  Mulford 's  handwriting  in  Murray's  Eng- 
lish Reader,  Wordsworth's  poem,  "Pet  Lamb,"  is 
marked,  "learned  by  Ann  at  the  age  of  seven  years  for 
her  father,  who  was  to  pay  her  25c." 

Ann  Mulford 's  name  appears  in  one  of  the  books, 
followed  by  "Monticello  Female  Seminary,"  and  in  one 


LIBRARIES  331 

of  the  books,  "Mary  Mulford,  Kemper  Hall,  Kenosha, 
Wis.,"  which  reveal  their  places  of  schooling. 

The  Laws  of  Illinois,  published  in  Vandalia,  in  1833, 
which  belonged  to  Major  Mulford,  is  now  the  property 
of  the  Evanston  Historical  Society.  Mary  B.  Lindsay  in 
Hurd's  History  of  Evanston  says  that  this  book  prob- 
ably furnished  Justice  Mulford  all  the  legal  lore  neces- 
sary for  him  at  the  time.  Major  Mulford  held  the  first 
court  in  Cook  County  in  1833.  Chicago  at  that  time  had 
only  twenty-nine  voters. 

Judge  Harvey  B.  Hurd,  who  came  to  Evanston  in 
1855,  had  a  very  fine  library  which  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  later  years. 

In  The  Index  of  December  18,  1897,  Dr.  Henry  B. 
Hemenway  calls  Dr.  Edward  Eggleston  the  "Father  of 
the  Public  Library." 

About  1867,  Dr.  Eggleston,  according  to  Dr.  Hemen- 
way in  Hurd's  History,  organized  a  class  of  boys  (not 
from  any  particular  church)  to  meet  at  his  house,  1017 
Davis  Street,  once  a  week.  He  was  at  that  time  super- 
intendent of  the  Methodist  Sunday  School.  After  a  short 
religious  service  and  a  social  hour,  the  boys  were  invited 
into  his  library,  there  each  one  was  to  select  books  for 
his  home  reading  for  the  week.  No  objection  was  made 
to  books  of  adventure,  but  Dr.  Eggleston  tried  to  instill 
into  the  young  minds  a  taste  for  books  of  value.  Dr. 
Hemenway  gives  a  graphic  picture  of  this  fine  man  sitting 
in  a  great,  easy  chair,  his  heavy  brown  hair  pushed  back 
and  his  face  lighting  up  as  he  looks  first  to  one  and  then 
to  another  of  his  hearers  while  he  tells  stories  of  frontier 
life,  or  stories  of  his  own  boyhood.  A  boy  sat  on  each 
knee,  others  on  the  arms  of  the  chair,  more  were  hanging 


332       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

over  the  back,  and  the  rest  sat  at  his  feet  on  the  floor, 
or  on  low  stools.  Such  a  picture !  Would  that  it  could  be 
duplicated  wherever  there  are  boys!  The  class  in  time 
became  so  large  that  he  had  to  use  the  Kindergarten 
building,  which  he  had  built  for  his  sister  in  the  yard  east 
of  the  house.  Bigger  plans  began  to  form  themselves  in 
the  mind  of  the  man  who  later  wrote  Hoosier  School- 
master, Roxy,  and  other  famous  books,  and  he  appealed 
to  various  public  spirited  citizens,  Luther  L.  Greenleaf, 
among  them,  to  form  a  public  library. 

The  first  meeting  to  organize  ' '  The  Evanston  Library 
Association, "  out  of  which  grew  the  Evanston  Public 
Library,  was  held  at  the  home  of  William  T.  Shepherd, 
1738  Chicago  Avenue,  and  was  attended  by  the  following 
persons :  L.  L.  Greenleaf,  the  Reverend  M.  G.  Clarke, 
Dr.  E.  0.  Haven,  A.  L.  Winne,  William  P.  Kimball  and 
William  T.  Shepherd.    (No  date  recorded.) 

A  second  meeting  was  held  at  the  same  home, 
August  26,  1870,  at  which  were  present  L.  L.  Greenleaf, 
A.  L.  Winne,  the  Eeverend  E.  N.  Packard,  H.  C.  Tilling- 
hast  and  William  T.  Shepherd. 

The  constitution  and  by-laws  were  drafted  by  an 
appointed  committee.  On  October  18,  1870,  the  consti- 
tution was  adopted  at  a  meeting  held  in  the  Methodist 
Church.  The  name  according  to  the  constitution  became 
The  Evanston  Library  Association  and  the  object  of  the 
association  was  "to  establish  and  maintain  a  public 
library  and  reading  room,  and  in  connection  with  this, 
by  all  suitable  means  to  awaken  a  desire  for  sound  knowl- 
edge and  a  correct  taste,  and  to  provide  for  the  gratifica- 
tion of  the  same  among  all  classes  of  the  community." 

There  were  two  classes  of  membership,  Ordinary  and 


LIBRARIES  333 

Life.  The  Ordinary  was  open  to  all  residents  upon  the 
payment  of  five  dollars  per  annum.  The  Life  was  open 
to  all  residents  upon  payment  of  thirty  dollars  for  the 
gentlemen,  and  twenty  dollars  for  the  ladies.  L.  L.  Green- 
leaf  was  elected  president  and  H.  G.  Powers,  vice- 
president. 

Many  donations  of  money  were  made,  the  largest 
coming  from  L.  L.  Greenleaf,  $575.  Donations  of  books 
were  made  by  H.  G.  Powers,  Andrew  Shuman,  I.  S. 
Jewell,  L.  J.  Gage  and  others.  It  was  voted  December 
3,  1870,  that  books  to  the  amount  of  $1,000  should  be 
bought  by  the  Book  Committee. 

The  library  was  in  rooms  on  the  second  floor  of 
Dr.  W.  S.  Scott's  building — later  this  building  had  the 
number  of  513  on  Davis  Street — and  was  formally  opened 
February  9,  1871.  The  Association  was  incorporated 
under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  February  23,  1871. 

In  the  spring  election  of  April,  1873,  the  town  resi- 
dents voted  unanimously  to  have  the  library  transferred 
to  the  town.  The  transfer  was  authorized  to  be  made 
May  22,  1873.  The  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors of  The  Free  Library  of  the  Village  of  Evanston  was 
held  June  21,  1873,  in  the  library  rooms,  at  which  time 
officers  were  elected.  The  transfer  of  913  volumes  and 
other  property  was  made  July  3,  1873. 

J.  H.  Kedzie  was  the  first  president  of  The  Free  Pub- 
lic Library,  and  L.  H.  Boutell  was  the  second  president. 
Mr.  Boutell  served  on  the  board  for  twenty-nine  years — 
until  his  death  in  1899.  Thomas  J.  Kellam  was  the  first 
librarian.  The  librarian's  salary  was  to  be  five  dollars  per 
week,  which  included  any  expense  incurred  in  the  care 
of  the  room.    City  Treasurer  John  E.  Lindgren  gener- 


334       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

ously  turned  over  his  year's  salary  for  1891  to  the  library 
for  a  book  fund.  This  amount,  $1,502.36,  made  possible 
a  larger  purchase  of  books  than  could  be  made  in  previous 
years. 

In  December,  1893,  it  was  decided  a  trained  librarian 
was  needed  and  Miss  Mary  A.  Lindsay  was  appointed 
She  entered  upon  her  duties  June  1,  1894. 

The  work  of  classifying  and  cataloguing  the  books 
under  the  Dewey  Decimal  System  was  begun  in  March, 
1896,  and  completed  in  December,  1896,  without  closing 
the  library  or  interfering  with  its  routine  of  work. 

In  1896,  the  Library  Extension  was  suggested  by  Mr. 
F.  W.  Nichols,  Superintendent  of  School  District  No.  2. 
This  consisted  of  one  hundred  books,  sent  to  District 
No.  2,  to  be  distributed  under  the  direction  of  the  teach- 
ers. A  system  of  separate  school  libraries  was  put  in 
operation  the  following  year,  wherein  a  hundred  books 
were  sent  to  each  of  the  schools  furthest  from  the  main 
library.  A  Director  on  the  Board,  Eichard  C.  Lake, 
donated  one  of  these  libraries  of  one  hundred  books. 

In  October,  1898,  the  Children's  Corner  in  the  library 
reading  room  was  established. 

The  reference  department  already  established  was 
made  of  greater  value  by  creating  the  position  of  assist- 
ant librarian  for  reference  and  children's  work. 

Library  Day  was  inaugurated  December  10,  1897. 
This  was  dispensed  with  two  years  later  on  account  of 
lack  of  space  to  hold  the  number  of  persons  attending. 

From  the  small  beginning  of  913  books,  owned  by 
the  Evanston  Library  Association,  the  number  of  books 
increased  to  114,551  volumes  reported  for  the  year  end- 
ing June  1,  1901,  by  The  Free  Public  Library.   In  1874, 


LIBRARIES  335 

the  amount  of  money  paid  out  for  books  purchased  dur- 
ing the  year  was  $260.  For  the  year  ending  1901,  the 
amount  paid  out  for  books  was  $2,459.49. 

The  Inter-State  Library  Conference  was  held  in 
Evanston  in  February,  1898,  at  which  there  were  170 
delegates  representing  eleven  states. 

The  library  was  moved  from  the  Scott  Building  to 
the  first  floor  of  the  Anton  Block  Building,  522  Sherman 
Avenue.  In  1892,  it  was  moved  again,  this  time  to  the 
second  floor  of  the  City  Hall,  upon  the  completion  of  that 
building. 

As  early  as  1884,  the  erection  of  a  library  build- 
ing was  contemplated.  Three  years  later,  in  1887,  Mr. 
William  Deering  offered  $5,000  toward  the  work.  Dur- 
ing the  next  ten  years  the  Board  was  unceasing  in  its 
efforts  to  arouse  interest  in  the  subject.  In  1897,  Charles 
F.  Grey  offered  $10,000  toward  a  $100,000  building.  The 
city  was  asked  by  the  Board  in  1899  to  appropriate 
$35,000  for  a  site  for  the  library.  The  appropriation  was 
not  granted.  Charles  F.  Grey  then  offered  to  give  $100,- 
000  for  a  library  building,  but  the  condition  was  that  a 
site  should  be  furnished,  free  of  incumbrance,  and 
furthermore  that  the  premises  should  be  exempt  from 
taxation. 

In  June,  1900,  the  Board  sent  out  circular  letters 
explaining  the  need  of  money  to  buy  ground.  Voluntary 
contributions  came  in,  but  only  to  the  amount  of  a  little 
over  $2,000,  when  $40,000  was  needed.  The  money  was 
returned  to  the  donors. 

April  6,  1901,  a  state  law  was  passed,  which  gave  to 
cities  the  power  to  levy  a  tax  for  the  purpose  of  pur- 
chasing sites  for  public  library  buildings.    The  Board 


336        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

passed  resolutions  to  purchase  a  site  at  an  estimated  cost 
of  $45,000  and  sent  them  to  the  City  Council.  The  City 
Council  approved  the  resolutions,  but — alas ! — the  City  of 
Evanston  was  already  in  debt  to  its  full  legal  limit  and 
the  action  of  the  Council  had  to  be  rescinded. 

There  were  later  and  other  unsuccessful  attempts  to 
raise  money.  In  June,  1904,  the  city  purchased  the  site 
at  the  corner  of  Orrington  Avenue  and  Church  Street. 
On  this  site  of  198  feet  facing  Orrington  Avenue,  and 
210  feet  on  Church  Street,  there  stood  six  dwelling  houses 
which  had  to  be  removed  before  the  Library  building 
could  be  erected.  Thirty  years  before  this  the  first  church 
built  in  the  city  had  been  located  on  this  site. 

The  city  paid  for  this  piece  of  ground  $31,600, 
issuing  bonds  in  order  to  be  able  to  do  so.  Also  the  city 
agreed  to  furnish  $25,000  toward  the  cost  of  the  building. 
Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie,  god-father  of  libraries,  offered 
$40,000  and  later  added  $10,000,  making  a  sum  of  $50,000 
toward  the  cost  of  the  building.  Success  at  last!  The 
corner  stone  of  the  Evanston  Public  Library  was  laid 
June  2,  1906,  and  a  beautiful  building  was  erected  on  the 
site  facing  Orrington  Avenue.  This  building  is  of  pure 
classic  design,  with  a  portico  supported  by  Grecian  col- 
umns. The  frame  work  of  the  building  is  of  steel,  with 
Bedford  stone  on  the  exterior  walls. 

Mr.  J.  Seymour  Currey  tells  of  making  the  trip  to 
the  E.  A.  Franks  bank  in  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  one  time  when 
he  was  in  New  York,  for  the  express  purpose  of  thanking 
Mr.  Carnegie  for  his  gift  to  Evanston.  The  E.  A.  Franks 
bank  was  in  an  out-of-the-way,  quiet  street,  with  only 
a  clerk  or  two  in  sight,  a  banking  establishment,  with 
one  depositor  only,  whose  sole  business  was  to  distribute 


LIBRARIES  337 

the  numerous  gifts  of  Mr.  Carnegie  to  libraries,  the  num- 
ber of  which  at  that  time,  in  the  building  and  completed, 
was  over  1,800.  When  a  library  was  named  after  Mr. 
Carnegie,  it  was  done  solely  to  honor  this  generous  man 
and  was  never  the  result  of  a  request  on  his  part. 

The  date  of  the  beginning  of  Northwestern  Univer- 
sity Library  is  almost  as  early  as  the  beginning  of  the 
University    itself.     In    1856,    the    University    Trustees 


Luther  L.  Greenleaf  J.  Seymour  Currey 

decided  to  make  an  appropriation  during  the  current 
year  for  books.  This  library  was  for  the  use  of  the  stu- 
dents, and  Miss  Willard  says  the  policy  was  a  University 
library  used  but  not  abused.  Dr.  Foster,  who  had  just 
been  elected  to  the  presidency  of  the  University,  asked 
for  a  leave  of  absence  for  one  year  in  order  to  continue 
his  work  in  the  Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 


338        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

New  York  for  that  length  of  time.  This  request  was 
granted  by  the  Trustees,  and  his  year's  salary  of  $2,000 
was  added  to  the  library  book  fund. 

In  1868,  the  catalogue  shows  the  library  contained 
3,000  volumes.  In  1891,  the  bound  volumes  numbered 
24,116,  and  in  1903  this  number  had  increased  to  51,658 
volumes,  and  35,000  pamphlets. 

In  1869,  Luther  L.  Greenleaf  presented  to  the  Uni- 
versity the  library  of  Honorable  Johann  Schulze,  Ph.  D., 
Member  of  Prussian  Ministry  of  Public  Instruction.  Mr. 
Greenleaf  had  purchased  this  library  from  the  heirs  of 
Johann  Schulze.  This  collection,  containing  11,246  vol- 
umes, besides  unbound  publications,  is  known  as  the 
Greenleaf  Library. 

A  portion  of  Oliver  A.  Willard's  library,  devoted  to 
local  and  state  histories  and  political  science,  was  bought 
by  William  Deering  and  Lyman  J.  Gage  and  presented 
to  the  University  in  1878. 

The  library  of  Professor  Henry  S.  Noyes  was  pur- 
chased by  the  University  after  Professor  Noyes'  death 
in  1872.   This  consisted  of  1,500  bound  volumes. 

A  gift  of  500  volumes,  mostly  biblical  and  philosoph- 
ical, from  the  library  of  the  Reverend  E.  W.  Patterson, 
D.  D.,  was  made  to  the  University,  by  his  widow,  in  1895. 

In  1898,  a  library  of  2,533  volumes  by  German  auth- 
ors was  collected  by  Geheimer  Regierungsrath  and  pre- 
sented to  the  University. 

In  1903,  the  collection  of  documents  received  from 
the  United  States  government — a  generous  donor  to  the 
library — contained  6,740  volumes  and  10,154  pamphlets. 

In  1870,  the  library  was  open  only  four  hours  each 
day  of  the  week,  Sunday  excepted.   In  1903,  the  library 


LIBRARIES  339 

record  shows  the  hours  the  library  was  open  were  thirteen 
each  week  day  during  the  college  year.  A  room  in  Old 
College  was  used  until  1869  for  the  library,  when  it  was 
transferred  to  University  Hall,  where  it  remained  until 
1894,  when  it  was  moved  to  the  Orrington  Lunt  Library 
building.  In  1865,  Orrington  Lunt  deeded  to  the  Univer- 
sity 157  acres  of  land,  in  what  was  then  North  Evans- 
ton.  Part  of  this  was  sold.  The  remaining  part  of  the 
property  in  1906  was  valued  at  $90,000. 

In  1891,  Mr.  Lunt  offered  $50,000  toward  a  library 
building.  Other  friends  contributed  $15,000,  Mrs.  Robert 
M.  Hatfield  contributing  $5,000  of  this  amount  in  memory 
of  her  husband,  the  Reverend  Robert  M.  Hatfield,  who 
had  been  a  trustee  of  the  University  for  years. 

By  an  appropriation  from  the  funds  of  the  Univer- 
sity the  amount  was  raised  to  $100,000.  The  beautiful 
Orrington  Lunt  Library  building  covers  an  area  of 
ground,  73  by  162  feet,  and  faces  Sheridan  Road.  It  is 
Italian  Renaissance  in  style  of  architecture;  the  outer 
walls  are  of  Bedford  limestone,  and  the  roof  is  of  red 
tile.  Ionic  columns  support  the  large  semi-circular  porch. 
This  building  was  dedicated  September  26,  1894.  The 
presentation  speech  was  made  by  Orrington  Lunt,  and 
the  address  of  acceptance  was  made  by  President  Henry 
Wade  Rogers,  L.L.D. ;  the  dedication  ode  was  written  and 
read  by  Mrs.  Emily  Huntington  Miller. 

In  the  early  years  some  one  of  the  professors  was 
appointed  librarian.  Among  the  librarians  of  those  days, 
we  find  the  names  of  W.  D.  Godman,  David  H.  Wheeler, 
Louis  Kistler  and  Charles  W.  Pearson.  Horace  G.  Lunt 
was  librarian  from  1876  to  1886,  giving  his  services  free,, 
as  did  his  father. 


340       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

The  Garrett  Biblical  Institute  Library  consists 
largely  of  theological  books  and  was  located  in  Memorial 
Hall  until  1923,  when  it  was  removed  to  the  new  Adminis- 
tration Building.  Dr.  H.  B.  Hemenway  was  librarian  for 
a  number  of  years,  holding  that  position  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death. 

In  1906,  the  library  contained  16,260  volumes,  and 
2,200  pamphlets.  Throughout  the  city  could  be  found  in 
the  early  days — and  the  same  is  true  today — in  private 
homes  wonderful  collections  of  books,  histories,  classics, 
essays,  rare  old  first  editions,  libraries  of  4,000  and  5,000 
volumes  and  over,  whose  owners  oftentimes  invited  the 
youth  of  the  day  to  their  homes — there  to  indulge  in  a 
true  literary  feast. 


Chapter  XIX 
GOVERNMENT 

WHEN  the  pioneers  arrived  in  this  region,  some 
coming  by  foot,  others  in  ox-carts  or  by  schooners, 
they  found  Cook  County  under  a  form  of  government 
known  as  '  *  County  government, '  '  all  community  business 
being  supervised  by  a  Board  of  County  Commissioners, 
and  this  form  existed  until  1849.  The  pioneers  were,  for 
the  most  part,  God-loving  and  God-fearing  people  who 
would  have  proved  themselves  fine  citizens  in  any  locality. 
Among  the  first  to  arrive  were  Major  Mulford  and  Ed- 
ward Murphy,  whose  opinions  were  regarded  as  authority 
and  who  were  looked  up  to  in  all  matters  for  the  good  of 
the  community,  their  education  being  superior  to  that  of 
their  neighbors  and  their  wide  knowledge  of  public  affairs 
of  great  benefit  to  the  young  settlement,  in  the  govern- 
ment of  which  they  took  an  active  part. 

Though  there  was  no  township  government,  town- 
ships were  indicated  in  the  United  States  Survey  and 
designated  by  numbers,  which  were  used  before  1849. 
The  records  of  Township  41,  in  which  Evanston  is 
located,  show  the  election  of  trustees  for  school  purposes, 
May  9,  1846,  four  years  before  officers  were  elected  for 
the  Town  of  Ridgeville.  In  the  minutes  of  the  meeting, 
May  20,  1846,  at  Ridge  Road  House,  Mulford 's  tavern, 
it  was  ordered  that  Miss  Cornelia  Wheadon  should  be 
hired  to  teach  the  school,  and  repairs  were  asked  for  the 
school  house. 


342       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

By  Act  of  February  12,  1849,  the  people  were  per- 
mitted to  divide  their  counties  into  towns  or  townships 
and  choose  a  name,  and  the  name  of  Eidgeville  was 
chosen  by  residents  of  Fractional  Town  41  North,  Eange 
14  East.(1) 

The  following  is  taken  from  Andreas '  History:  The 
Town  of  Eidgeville — in  old  records  Eidgevill — was  one 
of  the  first  to  be  organized  under  the  Act  of  1849  and 
took  effect  April,  1850.  The  first  election  was  held 
April  2,  1850,  Moderator  Ebenezer  Bennett  making  proc- 
lamation in  a  loud  voice  at  the  door  of  George  Eeed's 
house  that  the  polls  were  open  ready  for  the  reception  of 
votes.  Up  to  the  time  of  closing,  6  P.  M.,  93  votes  were 
cast  and  elections  made  as  follows,  familiar  names,  most 
of  them:  Edward  Murphy,  Supervisor;  S.  S.  Billings, 
Town  Clerk;  Peter  Smith  and  E.  H.  Mulford,  Justices 
of  the  Peace;  Philip  Eogers,  Assessor;  Jacob  Smith, 
Collector;  Otis  Munn,  Overseer  of  the  Poor;  David 
Wood,  Charles  Miller,  and  Martin  Young,  Commis- 
sioners of  Highway;  Andrew  Faber  and  Jacob  Smith, 
Constables. 

Paul  Pratt,  George  W.  Huntoon,  Isaac  Burroughs, 
Edward  Murphy  and  Jacob  Smith,  the  commissioners  on 
"animals  running  at  large,"  reported  that  to  the  best  of 
their  judgment  all  cattle  and  horses  should  be  shut  up 
during  December,  January  and  February,  and  hogs  and 
geese  the  year  around. 

(1)  Ranges  are  rows  of  townships  running  north  and  south  and  have  their 
start  from  some  principal  meridian.  The  First  Principal  Meridian  (there  are 
others  east  of  this)  is  a  line  running  north  and  south  along  the  boundary  line 
between  Ohio  and  Indiana.  The  Second  Principal  Meridian  runs  through  the 
state  of  Indiana.  The  Third  Principal  Meridian — from  which  the  ranges  of  town- 
ships, in  which  Range  14  lies,  begin  numbering — passes  through  a  point  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio  river  at  Cairo,  Illinois.  Range  14  is  the  fourteenth  row  of 
townships  east  of  the  line  that  runs  north  and  south  through  Cairo. 

Townships  begin  their  numbering  north  or  south  of  certain  longitudes  used 
as  base  lines. 


GOVERNMENT  343 

There  were  two  pounds  established  and  David  W. 
Burroughs  and  David  Hood  were  appointed  Pound 
Masters. 

When  taking  oath  for  office,  each  man  had  to  swear 
he  had  not  fought  a  duel,  sent  or  accepted  a  challenge 
to  fight,  or  been  a  second  to  either  party,  or  in  any 
manner  aided  or  assisted  in  such  a  duel;  that  he  would 
not  be  so  engaged  or  concerned,  directly  or  indirectly, 
in  or  about  any  such  duel  during  continuance  in  office. 
The  taking  of  this  oath  was  deemed  necessary,  as  duels 
were  fought  occasionally  as  late  as  1860.  Abraham  Lin- 
coln was  at  one  time  challenged  to  fight  a  duel,  which 
challenge  he  did  not  accept. 

Philip  Rogers  made  the  first  recorded  assessment  of 
the  Township,  in  1853,  and  the  value  of  taxable  property 
was  placed  at  $6,000,  and  among  the  property  owners 
taxed  were  William  Foster,  Eli  Gaffield,  Paul  Pratt,  Mrs. 
George  Pratt,  0.  A.  Crain,  Charles  Crain,  G.  W.  Huntoon, 
Peter  Monroe,  John  O'Leary,  Patrick  Goodwin,  Jacob 
Phillips,  Peter  Smith,  Sr.,  Anton  Haskamp  and  John 
Georges. 

The  region,  later  given  the  name  of  Evanston,  was 
platted  in  1854  by  Philo  Judson. 

By  Act  of  Legislature  February  15,  1857,  the  name 
was  changed  to  Evanston  Township  and  enlarged  by 
addition  of  a  tier  of  sections  from  Niles  Township  on 
the  west ;  the  Archange  Keservation  and  several  sections 
in  Township  42  from  New  Trier  on  the  north.  This  Act 
reads,  "The  name  of  Eidgeville  shall  be  changed  to 
Evanston  and  the  Town  of  Evanston  shall  comprise  all 
of  fractional  Township  41  North,  Range  14  East,  Sec- 
tions 12,  13,  24,  25  and  36,  Township  41  North,  Range  13 


344       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

East,  the  Archange  Eeservation  and  fractional  Sections 
22,  26  and  27,  Township  42  North,  Range  14  East,  and 
the  same  shall  form  and  constitute  a  township  for  school 
purposes  and  be  known  as  Town  41  North,  Range  14 
East."(2) 

Evanston  existed  under  a  loose  form  of  county  and 
township  government  until  1863.  In  December,  1863,  the 
residents  of  Evanston  decided  that  Evanston  should  be 
incorporated  as  a  town.  By  general  statute,  a  town  could 
not  include  within  its  limits  a  territory  of  more  than  one 
mile  square.  This  territory  lay  between  a  line  just  south 
of  the  Biblical  Institute  building  and  Foster  Avenue  on 
the  north,  and  Dempster  Street  on  the  south ;  and  between 
the  lake  on  the  east  and  Wesley  Avenue  on  the  west. 

Five  trustees  for  the  town  were  elected  January, 
1864,  H.  B.  Hurd,  president,  C.  Comstock,  E.  Haskins, 
Professor  II.  S.  Noyes  and  J.  Clough. 

In  July  town  rules  and  ordinances  were  adopted  and 
in  addition  an  ordinance  was  passed  enforcing  the  pro- 
vision of  the  University  charter,  in  regard  to  the  sale 
of  liquor.  The  offices  created  were  trustees,  clerk,  treas- 
urer, attorney,  street  commissioner  and  constable. 

L.  L.  Greenleaf,  town  treasurer,  let  the  first  impor- 
tant contract  for  public  improvement,  October,  1864 — 
grading  and  graveling  Hinman  Avenue  from  Davis  Street 
to  University  Place. 

E.  Haskins  was  president  of  the  town  from  1865  to 
1867.   In  1867,  J.  F.  Willard  was  elected  president.    He 


(2)  When  the  territory  of  the  city  of  Evanston  was  embraced  in  a  single 
township  in  1903  it  was  under  the  name  of  Ridgeville  with  boundaries  identical 
with  those  of  the  city.  This  was  a  great  step  forward.  The  territory  previously 
included  portions  of  three  townships,  Niles,  Evanston  and  New  Trier,  and  each 
township  had  its  own  officials.  This  meant  for  part  of  Evanston  three  sets  of 
Highway  Commissioners,  three  sets  of  Collectors,  and  three  sets  of  Town  Clerks. 
Each  of  the  three  townships  placed  a  different  valuation  on  property,  which  called 
for  much  book-keeping  and  resulted  in  dissatisfaction. 


GOVERNMENT  345 

was  succeeded  in  1868  by  Eli  A.  Gage,  and  in  1869,  E.  R. 
Paul  was  elected  president.  This  year,  1869,  the  town, 
still  satisfied  with  its  simple  form  of  government,  voted 
against  a  city  charter,  permitted  to  Evanston  by  Act  of 
Legislature,  which  would  mean  incorporation  as  a  city. 
The  adoption  of  a  city  charter  was  voted  down,  there 
being  197  votes  against  it  and  87  in  favor  of  it.  John  L. 
Beveridge  was  elected  president  1870;  H.  G.  Powers 
1871 ;  C.  G.  Gilbert  1872. 

The  territory  east  of  North  Evanston  and  north  of 
the  original  town  was  annexed  in  1872. 

Within  three  years — in  1872 — after  the  Act  of  Legis- 
lature of  1869  giving  permission  to  Evanston  to  incor- 
porate as  a  city,  the  townsmen  organized  under  the  Act 
for  Cities  and  Villages,  and  Evanston  became  a  village, 
but  made  no  change  in  the  form  of  government.  Trustees 
were  elected  from  the  village  at  large  and  a  village  presi- 
dent, in  place  of  aldermen  for  wards  and  a  mayor. 

The  first  election  of  village  trustees  for  Evanston 
took  place  April  1873,  when  C.  G.  Gilbert  was  made 
president  again. 

In  June,  1874,  the  first  Board  of  Health  was  ap- 
pointed. 

In  this  same  year,  1874,  North  Evanston  petitioned 
for  annexation  to  Evanston  and  was  voted  into  the  vil- 
lage. The  original  owners  and  promoters  of  North  Evans- 
ton were  C.  E.  Browne,  C.  L.  Jenks  and  Dr.  Kidder,  who 
sold  its  tracts  either  in  acreage  or  in  small  parcels,  sub- 
dividing the  land  and  making  improvements.  There  was 
a  general  opinion  among  north  shore  residents  that  the 
prices  were  inflated  and  that  the  bubble  would  burst, 
when  an  advertisement  appeared  in  a   Chicago  paper 


346       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

offering  lots  a  little  north  of  the  Biblical  Institute  at 
$200  per  acre  and  an  eighty  acre  lot  of  choice,  fertile 
prairie,  one  mile  north  of  the  village,  at  $75  per  acre. 

The  territory  lying  between  Hamilton  and  Greenleaf 
Streets,  the  lake  and  Chicago  Avenue  was  included  by 
petition  the  same  year,  1874.  By  Act  of  May  23,  1877 
(and  amended  in  1903)  all  the  territory  in  the  Village 
of  Evanston  was  changed  into  a  township,  under  the  old 
name  of  Bidgeville,  making  the  boundaries  of  village  and 
township  identical  and  consolidating  the  village  and 
township  government.  The  new  township  embraced  the 
southern  part  of  New  Trier  Township  and  a  northeast 
corner  of  Niles  Township.  The  remaining  portion  of  the 
former  township,  a  small  tract  of  land  south  of  the  limits 
and  a  tract  west  of  the  south  end  of  the  village,  under 
the  name  of  Evanston  Township,  is  part  of  the  City  of 
Chicago. 

The  president's  office  was  filled,  following  Mr.  Gil- 
bert's term  of  office,  successively  by  Obadiah  Huse,  N.  S. 
Davis,  J.  M.  Williams,  Thomas  J.  Frost,  T.  A.  Cosgrove 
and  J.  S.  Parkhurst. 

In  1883,  South  Evanston,  through  its  trustees,  peti- 
tioned to  be  annexed  to  Evanston.  The  annexation  did 
not  take  place  at  that  time. 

In  1884,  Evanston  had  a  population  of  5,000,  "among 
the  most  intelligent  in  the  state,"  to  quote  Andreas,  "and 
of  progressive  disposition,"  fine  system  of  water  works — 
a  pumping  station  had  been  installed  in  1872 — fire  depart- 
ment, organized  in  1881,  consisting  of  Babcock  chemical 
engine,  eight  men;  hose  company  of  thirty  men  (hook 
and  ladder  company),  wide  and  clean  avenues  and  streets, 
lighted  with  gas,  a  fine  public  library,  a  well  conducted 


GOVERNMENT  347 

newspaper,  The  Evanston  Index,  a  first  class  hotel,  the 
Avenue  House,  prosperous  looking  business  houses  and 
churches  of  several  denominations.  Lake  Shore  Drive 
from  the  city  was  under  construction  and  when  com- 
pleted, it  was  expected  to  be  one  of  the  finest  carriage 
ways  in  the  world. 

April,  1886,  the  territory  embraced  by  Church  and 
Crain  Streets,  Wesley  and  McDaniel  Avenues  was 
annexed. 

In  1892,  South  Evanston 's  petition  for  annexation 
had  been  pending  for  nine  years,  since  1883.  March  29, 
1892,  the  question  of  annexation  was  put  to  the  vote  of 
both  villages.  Neither  village  seemed  very  favorably 
inclined  toward  annexation,  as  it  was  approved  by  only 
a  small  majority,  after  a  hotly  contested  campaign. 
Evanston  deemed  it  necessary  to  enlarge  its  bonding  and 
taxing  area,  as  municipal  indebtedness  was  not  allowed 
in  excess  of  5%  of  its  property.  The  Village  of  South 
Evanston,  organized  in  1873,  now  found  it  necessary  to 
make  a  change  in  regard  to  its  water  supply,  as  the 
sewer  emptied  into  the  lake  only  about  600  feet  from  the 
pumping  station,  thus  contaminating  the  supply  of  water. 
Also,  South  Evanston  was  already  deeply  in  debt  and  felt 
it  dared  not  incur  greater  indebtedness  by  going  to  the 
expense  of  pushing  the  inlet  further  into  the  lake.  There- 
fore annexation  was  the  only  solution  to  the  problem.  In 
short,  annexation  to  Evanston  meant  pure  water,  as  it 
would  then  receive  its  supply  of  water  through  Evans- 
ton's  mains. 

Before  the  inlet  at  Main  Street  had  been  constructed 
and  the  water  tower  and  pumping  station  built  (at  a  cost 
of  $20,000)   South  Evanston  obtained  its  water  supply 


348       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

by  means  of  an  artesian  well,  at  Chicago  Avenue  and 
Washington  Street.  This  well  was  bored  to  the  depth  of 
2,600  feet,  "which  spurted  up  like  an  oil  gusher,  sixty 
feet  above  the  surface,  the  water  so  hard  it  could  not  be 
cut  with  an  axe."  The  residents  were  not  satisfied  with 
this  and  asked  for  lake  water. 

South  Evanston  received  its  first  settler  in  1836, 
Major  Mulford.  He,  however,  did  not  occupy  his  board 
cabin  for  a  year  after  preempting  the  land  and  building 
the  cabin  to  hold  the  title,  but  rented  it  to  Arunah  Hill. 
He  returned  in  1837  to  take  possession  himself.  After 
him,  came  the  Gaffields,  the  Burroughs,  the  Crains  and 
many  others,  long  before  Evanston  proper  began  to  be 
settled.  Its  first  subdivision  was  made  by  General  Julius 
White,  about  1871.  General  White  subdivided  eighty 
acres  adjoining  Evanston  on  the  north  and  lying  east 
of  the  Northwestern  railroad  tracks.  Merrill  Ladd,  0.  F. 
Gibbs,  Judge  Adams  and  L.  C.  Pitner  also  operated  in 
South  Evanston  lands,  Adams  and  Pitner  operating  west 
of  the  railroad  track,  where  land  sold  at  $15  and  $20 
per  front  foot. 

In  1873,  South  Evanston  acquired  the  status  of  vil- 
lage. At  that  time  it  occupied  1,000  acres  of  territory 
mostly  in  Section  19,  Evanston  Township.  The  village 
extended  from  the  lake  one  and  a  half  miles  westward 
and  one  mile  from  north  to  south  boundaries,  with  spaci- 
ous streets,  and  all  lots  of  good  depth,  with  an  allowance 
for  alleys. 

The  firm  of  Warren,  Keeney  &  Co.,  with  Mr.  Kedzie 
of  Evanston,  bought  55  acres  south  of  General  White's 
subdivision.  Of  the  fifty-five  acres,  thirty-five  were 
bought  of  John  Klein  and  twenty  of  Jacob  Kinn,  at  the 


GOVERNMENT  349 

price  of  $1,350  per  acre.  This  tract  was  named  Kedzie 
and  Keeney's  Addition  and  was  graded  and  fenced  in. 
The  following  May,  this  firm  bought  thirty-seven  acres  of 
high  land,  heavily  timbered,  along  the  lake  shore  at  $1,350 
per  acre.  The  firm's  expenditures  were  over  $100,000 
and  the  sales  amounted  to  over  $200,000  the  first  season. 
Sewers  to  the  lake  were  laid  through  the  principal  east 
and  west  streets.  Many  of  the  houses  were  supplied  with 
gas  from  the  Evanston  Gas  Works.  The  population  in 
1874  was  1,300,  and  the  number  of  houses  250. 

Evanston,  though  not  quite  fully  grown,  was  fast 
reaching  maturity,  standing  firmly  on  its  feet,  its  streets 
running  rigidly  straight,  truly  symbolic  of  the  character 
of  its  early  founders,  who  rejoiced  in  treading  the 
straight  and  narrow  path.  It  was  quite  enough  grown  up 
to  realize  its  own  importance,  and  South  Evanston,  with 
all  its  fine  independence,  was  compelled  to  recognize 
Evanston 's  supremacy,  and  in  1892  it  became  a  part  of 
Evanston  proper. 

With  South  Evanston  annexed,  the  three  villages, 
now  become  one,  weighed  the  question  of  adoption  of  city 
organization  and  looked  on  it  favorably.  It  was  submitted 
to  the  people  by  vote  March  29,  1892.  That  the  village 
was  now  fully  ready  and  desirous  to  put  on  city  garb  is 
proved  by  the  overwhelming  number  of  votes  in  its  favor, 
which  numbered  784  to  26. 

The  first  election  of  the  full  fledged  City  of  Evanston 
took  place  April  29, 1892,  and  Dr.  Oscar  H.  Mann  became 
the  first  mayor  of  Evanston.  The  city  was  divided  into 
seven  wards  and  fourteen  aldermen  were  elected,  two  for 
each  ward.   Its  population  was  15,967. 


Chapter  XX 
EVANSTON'S  THOEOUGHFAEES 

THE  natural  ridges  were  the  first  thoroughfares 
through  Evanston.  The  Drainage  Commission  exca- 
vating ditches  for  drainage  between  the  ridges,  Eidge 
Avenue  and  the  Dutch  Eidge  further  west,  created  other 
roads,  Mulford  Eoad,  Church  Street,  Emerson  Street 
and  Indian  Boundary  Line,  which  was.  established  by 
treaty,  1816,  with  the  Potawatomi,  Chippewa,  and  Ottawa 
Indians. 

The  names  of  most  of  the  streets  commemorate  early 
and  honored  citizens  and  other  persons  of  distinction, 
especially  Methodists. 

When  one  thinks  of  Evanston,  a  picture  of  Fountain 
Square  comes  to  mind, — Fountain  Square,  very  appro- 
priately called  by  W.  C.  Levere,  in  one  of  his  newspaper 
articles,  the  Heart  of  Evanston.  The  streets  radiating 
from  it  to  all  parts  of  the  city,  he  likens  to  the  arteries 
of  the  heart.  Probably  no  part  of  Evanston,  not  except- 
ing the  University  buildings  themselves,  remains  clearer 
in  the  memories  of  both  Evanstonians  and  visitors  than 
Fountain  Square,  with  its  lofty  trees  beneath  whose  out- 
spreading branches  several  cranes  nobly  take  their  stand. 
The  fountain,  which  was  originally  surmounted  by  the 
figure  of  a  crane,(1)  was  dedicated  July  4, 1876,  Centennial 
year,  and  was  called  Centennial  Fountain.  It  was  pre- 
sented to  the  city  by  a  number  of  residents  to  commem- 


(1)      This  old  crane  may  be  seen  at  the  Evanston  Historical  Society  rooms. 


EVANSTON'S  THOROUGHFARES 


351 


orate  the  nation's  birthday.    The  village  trustees  were 
petitioned  to  accept  the  fountain  and  appropriate  a  sum 


Dedication  of  the  Fountain,  July  4,  1876 

of  money  to  construct  a  base.  The  signers  of  the  petition 
were  Lyman  J.  Gage,  H.  G.  Powers,  J.  H.  Kedzie,  S.  B. 


352       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Raymond,  0.  H.  Mann,  Merrill  Ladd,  Archibald  Winne, 
H.  T.  Tillinghast  and  J.  F.  Keeney.  Edwin  Lee  Brown 
and  his  son,  Edwin  F.  Brown,  were  generous  contributors 
to  this,  as  they  were  to  every  public-spirited  enterprise. 
When  the  street  car  company  was  building  its  line 
through  Evanston,  Mayor  Mann  gave  his  consent  to  have 
the  fountain  taken  out  and  the  plot  of  ground  around  it 


The  Fountain  Kemodeled 

to  be  used.  Indignant  citizens,  not  least  among  whom  was 
Norman  Williams,  called  upon  the  mayor,  who  seeing  the 
imprudence  of  his  action,  recalled  his  consent  and  the 
fountain  was  saved. 

There  are  a  few  streets  whose  names  are  misnomers 
and  do  not  have  any  particular  reference  to  their  loca- 


EVANSTON 'S  THOROUGHFARES  353 

tions,  for  instance,  Central  Street  is  in  the  extreme  north 
end  of  town,  and  Main  Street,  which  previously  bore  the 
names  of  both  Lincoln  Avenue  and  Evanston  Avenue,  is 
located  in  the  south  end  of  town. 

Evanston 's  thoroughfares  are  called  Avenues, 
Streets,  Courts  and  Places.  The  avenues  and  courts  run 
north  and  south  while  streets  and  places  run  east  and 
west.  Sheridan  Koad,  running  north  and  south,  is  an 
exception. 

The  house  numbering  begins  at  the  south  end  of  the 
city  on  the  avenues  and  courts.  The  house  numbering  of 
the  streets  and  places  begins  at  the  lake  and  runs  west- 
ward. The  numbering  in  every  block  commences  with  the 
even  hundred.  The  streets  and  places  run  about  twelve 
hundred  to  the  mile,  while  the  avenues  and  courts,  having 
longer  blocks,  run  about  eight  hundred  to  the  mile. 

The  names  of  the  thoroughfares,  with  their  deriva- 
tions, follow;  also  a  few  facts  concerning  some  of  the 
best  known  thoroughfares : 

Arnold  Street.  Isaac  N.  Arnold,  Chicagoan  and  a 
member  of  Congress. 

Asbury  Avenue.  Francis  Asbury,  first  American 
Methodist  Episcopal  Bishop. 

Avars  Place.  James  Ayars,  President  of  Board  of 
Village  (Evanston)  Trustees.  This  was  formerly  Ayars 
Court. 

Bennett  Avenue.  Mrs.  C.  C.  Bennett  (nee  Culver), 
Chicago  Public  School  teacher. 

Benson  Avenue.  Francis  H.  Benson,  early  Evans- 
tonian. 

Boomer  Place.  Norton  W.  Boomer,  Chicago  Public 
School  Principal. 

23  L 


354        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Botsford  Street.  J.  K.  Botsforcl,  Chicagoan,  North- 
western University  Trustee. 

Browne  Avenue.  Charles  E.  Browne,  North  Evans- 
ton  property  owner. 

Chancellor  Street.  Chancellor  L.  Jenks,  early  resi- 
dent of  Evanston. 

Chicago  Avenue  received  its  name  when  North  Ave- 
nue was  the  northern  boundary  line  of  Chicago.  It  is  the 
low  ridge  to  the  east  of  Ridge  Avenue  and  is  a  branch 
of  Green  Bay  Trail.  Green  Bay  Trail  followed  the  line 
of  Clark  Street  in  Chicago  to  Rose  Hill,  where  it  divided, 
one  part  going  over  Chicago  Avenue  and  the  other  over 
the  Ridge,  the  two  parts  joining  again  at  a  point 
north  of  the  Lighthouse,  after  being  divided  for  four 
miles. 

The  long  stretch  of  country  road  joining  Chicago 
Avenue  in  Evanston  with  North  Clark  Street  at  Chi- 
cago 's  north  boundary,  North  Avenue,  ran  through  farms 
and  market  gardens.  It  was  sandy  and  in  such  bad  con- 
dition that  in  1859  a  corporation,  called  the  Rose  Hill 
and  Evanston  Road  Company,  with  C.  Billings  president, 
was  formed  to  grade  it.  After  the  grading  was  done,  it 
became  Gravel  Road.  There  were  three  toll-gates  on  it 
several  miles  apart,  at  which  each  team  was  charged  a 
small  fee  for  the  privilege  of  using  it.  The  keepers  lived 
in  small  toll-houses  near  the  toll-gates.  One  toll-gate  was 
at  the  intersection  of  Indian  Boundary  Line  and  another 
further  south  at  Graceland. 

South  Evanston  had  the  cedar  block  paving  craze, 
and  Chicago  Avenue  came  in  for  its  share  in  1891,  when 
it  was  paved  with  cedar  blocks  from  the  north  limit  of 
Hamilton  Street  to  the  south  limit  of  the  village.    The 


EVANSTON'S  THOROUGHFARES  355 

first  brick  pavement  laid  in  Evanston  was  in  1891, 
on  Chicago  Avenue  from  Davis  Street  to  University 
Place. 

This  low  ridge,  Chicago  Avenue,  was  under  water 
part  of  the  year,  in  the  early  days.  A  narrow  bridge  made 
of  single  planks  laid  across  crotched  sticks  was  built  for 
the  convenience  of  children  going  from  the  east  ridge  to 
school  over  on  the  west  ridge,  Eidge  Avenue.  A  number 
of  poles  were  kept  at  either  end  of  the  bridge,  for  use  as 
balancing  poles  for  those  crossing. 

From  the  cupola  of  Edward  S.  Taylor's  home  on  the 
corner  of  Chicago  Avenue  and  Grove  Street  a  group  of 
•Evanstonians  watched  the  flames  of  the  Chicago  fire  on 
the  night  of  October  9, 1871.  Rest  Cottage,  once  the  home 
of  Frances  Willard,  on  Chicago  Avenue,  is  said  to  bring 
annually  over  14,000  persons  to  Evanston  from  all  over 
the  world  to  visit  the  place,  where  once  dwelt  one  who 
was  widely  known  through  her  temperance  work. 

A  little  grey  and  green  house  just  north  of  Davis 
Street  on  the  west  side  of  the  avenue  was  once  the 
village  post  office,  and  here  Edward  Eggleston,  the 
author  of  Hoosier  Schoolmaster,  Bishop  Randolph  Fos- 
ter, Bishop  Matthew  Simpson,  and  other  great  lights  no 
doubt  met  and  discussed  the  topics  of  the  day. 

General  Nelson  A.  Miles  once  lived  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  Chicago  Avenue  and  Clark  Street.  Here  also, 
at  one  time,  lived  John  L.  Beveridge,  later  Governor  of 
Illinois.  James  A.  Patten  occupied  the  house  for  several 
years.  Others  who  lived  in  this  house  were  William  Ray- 
mond, the  opera  singer,  Kuehne  Beveridge,  the  sculptor, 
and  President  Abram  W.  Harris  of  Northwestern  Uni- 
versity. 


356       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Church  Street.  The  first  church  building  in  Evan- 
ston  was  on  this  street,  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  on  the  site  of  the  Public  Library. 

Clark  Street.  The  Reverend  John  Clark,  minister 
of  Clark  Street  Church,  Chicago. 

Colfax  Street.  United  States  Vice-President 
Schuyler  Colfax. 

College  Street.  Now  Davis  Street.  College  Street 
was  the  original  name  of  Davis  Street  west  of  Sherman 
Avenue ;  changed  to  Davis  Street  in  1871. 

Cook  Street.  Origin  of  name  not  known.  Cook 
Street  is  now  Garrett  Place. 

Crain  Street.  Ozro  and  Charles  Crain,  early  settlers. 

Darrow  Avenue.  A  prominent  colored  Mason  of 
Chicago. 

Davis  Street.  Nathan  S.  Davis,  M.  D.,  one  of  the 
Trustees  of  Northwestern  University,  a  man  not  only  of 
nation-wide  reputation,  but  also  well  known  in  the  med- 
ical profession  in  Europe.  He  was  one  of  the  few  medical 
practitioners  of  the  day  who  refused  to  use  alcoholics  in 
his  practice  of  medicine. 

It  was  said,  in  regard  to  Dr.  Davis,  that  he  cared 
more  for  his  work  than  for  his  dress,  and  it  required  the 
greatest  diplomacy  on  the  part  of  his  wife  to  make  him 
change  to  a  new  suit.  Up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1904, 
he  persisted  in  wearing  the  old-fashioned  dress  coat,  or 
claw-hammers.  It  is  also  related  of  him  that  he  was 
careful  to  treat  all  his  patients  alike,  rich  or  poor.  A 
story  is  told  that  shows  his  ready  wit  and  keen  sense  of 
humor.  A  young  man,  son  of  a  bishop,  who  had  no  ap- 
pointment rushed  into  his  office  and  was  told  he  would 
have  to  wait  his  turn,  as  the  doctor  was  busy.    Eushing 


EVANSTON'S  THOROUGHFARES  357 

past  the  office  attendant,  he  entered  the  doctor's  private 
office.  The  doctor  very  politely  told  him  to  have  a  seat. 
"But,"  he  exclaimed,  "I  am  So-and-So,"  trying  to  im- 
press the  doctor  with  his  importance. 

"Ah,  Sir,"  the  doctor  said,  bowing  low,  "have  two 
seats." 

In  1855,  this  street  was  called  Davis  Street  only  from 
Fountain  Square  east,  being  College  Street  west  of 
Fountain  Square.  When  the  Village  Board  voted  for 
street  improvement,  clay  was  used  to  the  depth  of  sev- 
eral inches,  with  a  covering  of  gravel.  The  first  paving 
of  Davis  Street  was  of  clay  and  gravel.  The  owners  of 
the  lots  fronting  on  this  street  decided  that  the  contractor 
should  give  them  plenty  of  clay  and  when  the  work  was 
begun  they  braved  the  tortures  of  a  hot  July  sun  beat- 
ing down  on  their  heads,  while  they  bossed  the  job.  One 
wonders  whether  that  particular  contractor  may  not  have 
had  a  little  bit  of  Irish  in  his  make-up  and  knew  what  the 
result  of  an  abundance  of  clay  would  be,  for  he  gave  them 
plenty — six  or  eight  inches — and  over  this  he  spread  the 
gravel,  and  woe  was  theirs  for  the  next  year  and  a  half ! 
Davis  Street  became  a  veritable  hog-wallow  the  greater 
part  of  the  year ! 

The  next  pavement  was  of  macadam,  and  being 
found  unsatisfactory,  it  became  the  foundation  for  the 
brick  pavement  laid  on  top  of  it.  The  first  University 
Building,  Old  College,  and  the  only  one  for  five  years, 
was  built  in  Block  20,  on  Davis  Street,  near  Hinman 
Avenue.  In  1871,  the  west  end  of  the  street  changed  its 
name  from  College  Street  to  Davis  Street. 

The  home  of  H.  B.  Hurd  stood  out  conspicuously  at 
Ridge  Avenue  and  Davis  Street.     This  beautiful  resi- 


358        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

dence,  with  its  spacious  rooms,  winding  driveway  and 
great  trees  shading  the  well-kept  lawn,  was  built  in  1854, 
and  was  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  fine  houses  in  Evanston. 

Danks  Hotel  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  North  Shore 
Hotel.  A  visitor  in  1855  found  every  room  in  Danks 
Hotel  taken  and  people  sleeping  on  the  dining  room  tables 
and  on  cots  between  the  tables. 

Dempster  Street.  Dr.  John  Dempster,  Professor  at 
Garrett  Biblical  Institute. {2)  Two  real  estate  men,  Wil- 
liam Vose  and  William  P.  Kimball,  saw  the  possibility 
of  a  new  center  being  created,  if  the  street  could  be 
opened  up  to  cross  the  railroad  tracks,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  where  Dempster  Street  later  was  laid  out.  Ac- 
cordingly, in  1882,  these  men  began  to  buy  property,  the 
first  being  three  hundred  feet  west  of  Chicago  Avenue. 
The  old  Snyder  house  stood  at  the  point  where  the.  pro- 
posed new  thoroughfare  intersected  Chicago  Avenue.(3) 
This  house  had  to  be  moved  out  of  the  way.  The  neces- 
sary application  was  made  to  the  village  government  to 
open  the  street.  While  waiting  for  this  to  go  through, 
Vose  and  Kimball  bought  the  site  of  the  Jones  School 
(Northwestern  Female  College),  and  land  from  Obadiah 
Huse,  between  the  railroad  track  and  Benson  Avenue, 
south  to  Crain  Street.  This  included  the  block  where 
the  Boltwood  School  stood,  which  piece  of  land  was  a 
cow  pasture,  with  a  wide  ditch  running  through  it,  and 
the  entire  tract  held  but  one  house,  which  belonged  to  the 
first  Chinese  resident  and  land  owner.  After  buying 
1,500  feet  to  the  west,  reaching  to  Maple  Avenue,  the  real 


(2)  Upon  coming  to  Evanston,  Dr.  Dempster  built  a  house  on  the  edge  of  the 
bluff  at  the  foot  of  Cook  Street,  which  might  be  called  the  first  apartment  house 
in  Evanston,  as  it  contained  four  suites. 

(3)  In  1844  Abraham  Snyder  bought -ninety-six  acres  between  Greenleaf  and 
Dempster  Streets,  which  he  sold  in  the  early  sixties  to  Hurd  and  Brown. 


EVANSTON'S  THOROUGHFARES  359 

estate  men  started  to  lay  out  their  territory.  Dempster 
Street  was  not  opened  through  to  Benson  Avenue  until 
1883.  The  first  train  stopped  at  Dempster  Street  Station 
about  1885. 

Dewey  Avenue.  Two  Chicago  school  teachers  in  the 
Jones  School,  sisters,  Electa  E.  Dewey  and  Mary  J. 
Dewey. 

Dodge  Avenue.  Kate  Dodge,  teacher  in  Jones 
School,  Chicago. 

Emerson  Street.  Benjamin  Emmerson,  who  came 
here  in  1839  and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  had  lived  here 
nearly  sixty  years.  William  C.  Levere  says  of  him,  in 
one  of  his  articles,  "He  found  Evanston  a  wilderness  and 
when  he  died,  it  was  the  most  civilized  city  in  the  world.' ' 

Emerson  Street,  at  its  west  end,  runs  through  land 
that  was  formerly  the  Emmerson  farm,  which  was  west 
of  the  railroad  tracks.  Two  neighbors  of  Emmerson, 
Pratt  and  Gafneld,  as  well  as  Emmerson  himself,  were 
anxious  to  have  the  north  end  of  town  developed  and  the 
three  united  in  their  efforts  to  get  a  vote  from  the  village 
board  to  open  the  street.  The  board  voted  favorably  and 
the  street  received  its  present  name.  The  family  name 
was  spelled  with  two  m's,  but  the  street  name  has  but 
one. 

Ewing  Avenue.  Adlai  Ewing,  who  controlled  Ew- 
ing's  Addition  to  Evanston,  and  was  one  of  the  World's 
Fair  Commissioners  from  Illinois. 

Florence  Avenue.  Florence  Tullis,  teacher  in  the 
Jones  School,  Chicago. 

Forest  Avenue.  Thomas  L.  Forrest,  thirty  years 
cashier  of  the  Hide  and  Leather  Bank  in  Chicago.  He 
owned  some  property  in  Evanston.    The  beautiful  trees 


360       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

lining  either  side  of  this  street  cause  many  people  tc 
think  Forest  Avenue  was  named  after  them.  The  drop- 
ping of  one  of  the  r's,  too,  would  give  rise  to  that  idea. 
Mr.  Forrest  never  lived  on  his  property,  through  which 
the  street  passes,  but  was  a  resident  of  Chicago. 

The  first  map  of  Evanston,  made  soon  after  the  town 
was  laid  out  in  1854,  by  an  early  surveyor,  Mr.  Van 
Vechten,  showed  Forest  Avenue  as  a  straight  street,  run- 
ning directly  north  across  Davis  Street.  This  map  was 
taken  to  a  lithographer  in  Chicago,  to  have  copies  made 
from  it,  shortly  before  the  Chicago  fire,  and  was  burned 
with  many  other  valuable  documents  that  memorable 
October  9th,  1871.  Allan  Vane  owned  several  lots  on  the 
north  side  of  Davis  Street,  and  not  knowing  the  exact 
boundary  line  of  these  lots  he  built  on  the  ground  at  the 
head  of  Forest  Avenue,  which  made  a  jog  in  the  street, 
causing  it  to  run  about  100  feet  to  the  east,  and  making 
it  scarcely  recognizable  as  a  continuation  of  the  street. 
This  continuation  is  called  Forest  Place.(4) 

One  of  the  most  historic  houses  built  on  Forest  Ave- 
nue was  a  grey  grout  house,  originally  the  home  of 
Stephen  Lunt,  and  later  of  Kobert  M.  Hatfield,  and  more 
recently  of  the  late  Daniel  Burnham.  Once  this  house 
was  surrounded  by  a  marsh.  Henry  Kidder,  calling  there 
at  one  time,  left  his  horse  tied  to  the  fence  and  made  his 
way  home  on  foot,  as  the  swamps  were  full  of  dangers. 

In  1872,  a  petition  was  sent  to  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  the  Village  of  Evanston,  from  owners  and  lessees, 
fronting  on  the  east  side  of  Forest  Avenue,  requesting  a 
plank  sidewalk,  five  feet  four  inches  wide,  extending  from 
Davis  Street  to  the  south  side  of  Greenleaf  Street.   This 


(4)      Places  run  east  and  west  in  Evanston.    This  is  an  exception. 


EVANSTON 'S  THOROUGHFARES  361 

petition  was  signed  by  Andrew  Shuman,  Isaac  H.  Taylor, 
H.  G.  Powers,  Arthur  C.  Ducat  and  T.  C.  Hoag.  L.  L. 
Greenleaf  reserved  the  right  to  build  his  own.  This 
width  of  sidewalk  was  used  all  over  the  city  in  accord- 
ance with  an  ordinance  passed  by  city  council,  as  boards 
coming  in  sixteen  foot  lengths  could  be  cut  in  three  pieces, 
without  an  inch  of  waste. 

Foster  Street.  Randolph  S.  Foster,  second  presi- 
dent of  Northwestern  University. 

Gaffield  Place.    Eli  Gaffield,  pioneer. 

Grant  Street.    General  U.  S.  Grant. 

Greenleaf  Street.  Luther  L.  Greenleaf,  citizen  of 
Evanston  1860  to  1875. 

Grey  Avenue.  Charles  F.  Grey,  resident  of  Evans- 
ton  ;  village  trustee. 

Grove  Street.  Received  its  name  probably  from  the 
grove  of  gigantic  oak  trees  which  grew  abundantly  along 
the  way.  This  street  begins  at  Dodge  Avenue  and  runs 
east  almost  to  the  lake,  joining  Lake  Street  at  Judson 
Avenue.  Frances  Willard  made  her  first  public  address 
in  the  First  Congregational  Church,  which  stood  on 
Grove  Street. 

Aldin  J.  Grover,  a  citizen  well  known  in  early  days, 
had  his  home  on  this  street.  He  was  the  father  of  Frank 
Grover,  the  writer  of  many  valuable  pamphlets  on  early 
Evanston  history. 

Hamilton  Street.  James  G.  Hamilton,  Secretary 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Northwestern  University. 

Hamlin  Street.  Leonidas  L.  Hamline,  Bishop  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  This  street,  too,  has  lost  a 
letter  (e). 

Hartzell  Street.     Joseph  C.  Hartzell,  one  of  the 


362        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

heroes  at  the  time  of  the  wreck  of  the  schooner,  Storm, 
May,  1864.  He  was  later  Methodist  Bishop  of  Africa. 

Haven  Street.  Erastus  0.  Haven,  Northwestern 
University  President ;  later  Methodist  Bishop. 

Hinman  Avenue.  Clark  T.  Hinman,  first  president 
of  Northwestern  University.  Dr.  Hinman  bought  land 
where  the  National  Headquarters  of  the  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon  Fraternity  now  are  located  (1927),  1856  Sheri- 
dan Road,  but  he  never  built  a  home  on  the  ground. 
What  the  populace  wants  and  what  is  good  for  it,  are  two 
different  things.  This  was  demonstrated  a  second  time 
when  James  Ayars  attempted  to  pave  Hinman  Avenue. 
Some  of  the  property  owners  wanted  the  street  kept  like 
a  country  village  street ;  others  wanted  it  paved,  and  so 
the  discussions  for  and  against  it  went  back  and  forth, 
until  Mr.  Ayars  finally  gave  up  in  despair  and  declared 
Hinman  Avenue  could  never  be  paved,  there  was  "too 
much  brains  on  the  street ! ' ' 

Isabella  Street.  Isabella  Browne,  daughter  of 
Charles  E.  Browne. 

Jackson  Avenue.  A.  B.  Jackson,  Rogers  Park  resi- 
dent. 

Jenks  Street.  Chancellor  L.  Jenks,  lawyer.  In 
1860,  during  the  stormy  days  preceding  the  war,  when 
the  whole  country  was  stirred  over  the  slavery  question, 
an  incident  occurred  that  showed  Chancellor  Jenks '  anti- 
slavery  tendencies  that  gained  him  national  fame.  A 
comely  colored  girl  of  about  twenty  had  escaped  from 
bondage  and  had  been  in  hiding  for  a  few  weeks  in  Chi- 
cago. One  of  her  own  race,  hoping  to  obtain  the  reward 
offered,  had  betrayed  her  hiding  place.  An  agent  of  her 
owner  and  a  United  States  Marshal  had  captured  her 


EVANSTON 'S  THOROUGHFARES  363 

and  were  about  to  return  her  to  slavery.  The  little  party 
attracted  the  notice  of  the  passersby  and  was  soon  sur- 
rounded by  perhaps  a  thousand  persons,  who  were  in- 
tensely interested  in  the  affair  and  about  equally  divided 
in  their  sympathies.  The  slowly  moving  procession  was 
suddenly  stopped  at  the  corner  of  Clark  and  Van  Buren 
Streets,  as  a  determined  man  of  middle  age  seized  the 
burly  slave  driver  and  hurled  him  backward.  Then 
grasping  the  girl,  he  was  soon  lost  in  the  crowd.  In  this 
heroic  and  dramatic  manner,  Mr.  Jenks  secured  the  re- 
lease of  the  slave-girl.  Later  he  was  tried  in  the  United 
States  court  and  fined  $1,000.  A  few  years  afterward  he 
and  the  southerner  met,  and  that  gentleman  told  him  he 
would  have  shot  him  (Jenks),  had  not  the  suddenness  and 
daring  of  the  rescue  surprised  him  and  before  he  had  re- 
covered, Jenks  and  the  girl  had  disappeared. 

Judson  Avenue.  Philo  Judson,  pioneer  of  Evanston, 
and  Business  Agent  of  Northwestern  University. 

Kedzie  Street.  John  H.  Kedzie,  forty-two  years  a 
resident  of  Evanston. 

Keeney  Street.  James  F.  Keeney,  resident  of 
Evanston. 

Kirk  Street.  James  S.  Kirk,  resident  of  Evanston 
for  twenty-seven  years ;  prominent  soap  manufacturer. 

Lee  Street.  Lee  J.  Pitner,  son  of  L.  C.  Pitner.  This 
name  was  given  to  the  street  in  1871,  when  Union  Addi- 
tion was  laid  out. 

Leon  Street.    A  part  of  Louis  Leonhardt's  name. 

Library  Place.  This  name  was  given  to  part  of 
Hamlin  Street,  between  Orrington  Avenue  and  Sheridan 
Eoad,  by  city  ordinance,  1904,  on  account  of  its  nearness 
to  the  Lunt  Library. 


364       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Livingston  Street.  Probably  the  middle  name  of 
Chancellor  Livingston  Jenks. 

Lyons  Street.    Joseph  M.  Lyons,  of  Evanston. 

McDaniel  Avenue.  Alexander  McDaniel,  pioneer  of 
Evanston;  a  forty-niner;  Postmaster  of  Wilmette  for 
nineteen  years,  1870  to  1889. 

Mulford  Street.    Edward  H.  Mulford,  pioneer. 

Nate  Street.  The  Reverend  John  Nate.  Changed 
to  Clinton  Place. 

Noyes  Street.  Henry  S.  Noyes,  Acting  President  of 
Northwestern  University  from  1860  to  1869. 

Orrington  Avenue.  Orrington  Lunt,  one  of  the 
founders  of  Northwestern  University.  Miss  Cornelia 
Lunt,  his  daughter,  told  the  following  story  of  how  the 
name  of  Orrington  originated.  Near  the  little  town  of 
Bowdoinham,  Maine,  where  her  father  was  born,  was  the 
Town  of  Orrington,  which  was  settled  by  men  from 
Orange  County,  Ireland.  Wishing  to  have  the  settlement 
incorporated  as  a  town,  one  of  its  prominent  men,  who 
knew  more  about  farming  than  spelling,  wrote  to  the 
Legislature  in  regard  to  the  matter,  intending  to  give  the 
town  a  name  that  would  perpetuate  the  name  of  the  place 
from  which  these  North  of  Ireland  men  came,  "Orange- 
town."  The  name  was  spelled  Orrington,  and  Orrington 
it  went  on  record,  and  Orrington  it  has  remained.  Miss 
Lunt  said  her  father  would  not  vouch  for  the  truth  of 
the  story,  but  traditions  of  this  kind  usually  have  truth 
for  foundation. 

William  C.  Levere,  in  one  of  his  articles  in  the  News- 
Index,  made  the  statement  that  Orrington  Avenue  in 
Evanston  was  the  only  street  in  America  carrying  the 


EVANSTON 'S  THOROUGHFARES  365 

name,  and  that  a  letter  addressed  to  a  number  on  Or- 
rington  Avenue,  without  city  or  state  name,  would  reach 
its  destination.  A  gentleman,  reading  the  article,  de- 
cided to  make  the  test,  and  arranged  to  have  a  letter 
mailed  to  him  from  Hornell,  New  York,  having  only  his 
name,  street  and  number  on  the  envelope.  Within 
thirty-six  hours  after  being  mailed,  the  letter  was  deliv- 
ered to  him  at  his  Orrington  Avenue  address. 

Payne  Street.  Henry  M.  Payne,  resident  of  Chi- 
cago. 

Pitner  Avenue.  Levi  C.  Pitner,  Evanston  resident, 
and  real  estate  broker. 

Pratt  Court.  Paul  and  George  Pratt,  pioneers  com- 
ing to  Evanston  in  1839. 

Eeba  Place.    Reba  Poor,  daughter  of  John  E.  Poor. 

Reese  Avenue.  Theodore  Reese,  surveyor,  living  in 
Evanston. 

Ridge  Avenue.  The  oldest  thoroughfare  in  Evans- 
ton, a  natural  ridge. 

Rinn  Street  (Now  South  Boulevard).  Jacob  Rinn, 
an  early  resident  of  Evanston. 

Sheridan  Road.  General  Philip  H.  Sheridan.  Form- 
erly there  was  no  thoroughfare  east  of  Calvary  Cemetery 
between  Evanston  and  Chicago.  Early  in  the  sixties  an 
attempt  was  made  to  extend  Evanston  Avenue  (now 
Broadway)  north  through  Calvary.  The  Archbishop  of 
that  day  objected  to  the  plan.  In  1887,  the  North  Shore 
Improvement  Association  was  formed  for  the  purpose, 
chiefly,  of  making  a  driveway  along  the  lake  shore.  The 
matter  met  with  general  favor,  and  Archbishop  Feehan 
generously  donated  one  hundred  feet  of  the  east  border 
of    Calvary    Cemetery.     Evanston    citizens,    headed   by 


366        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Volney  W.  Foster,  raised  $3,000  for  leveling  the  sand 
hills,  and  claying  and  grading  the  road. 

In  1890,  Sheridan  Square  was  Warren  Court.  Part 
of  Sheridan  Road  was  called  Congress  Street  at  one  time, 
and  a  part  was  called  Michigan  Avenue,  from  Greenwood 
to  University  Place.  Sheridan  Road  also  bore  the  name 
of  Raymond  Avenue  on  the  block  between  Hamilton  and 
Greenleaf  Streets.  In  the  south  end,  1883,  between  Lin- 
coln Avenue  (Main  Street)  and  Calvary  Cemetery,  Sheri- 
dan Road  was  Arnold  Avenue. 

Sherman  Avenue.  Alson  Smith  Sherman,  one  of  the 
incorporators  of  Northwestern  University  and  first  vice- 
president.  He  was  elected  mayor  of  Chicago,  1844.  Mr. 
Sherman  walked  into  Chicago  from  St.  Joseph,  Michigan, 
in  1836,  having  reached  that  city  by  wagon  from  Detroit, 
to  which  place  he  had  come  by  boat  on  canal  and  lake 
from  his  Vermont  home. 

South  of  Fountain  Square  the  legal  name  of  the 
street  is  Orrington  Avenue  on  the  east  side  of  the  street 
to  the  slight  bend,  while  the  west  side  is  Sherman  Avenue. 

One  of  the  best  photographers  of  the  day  had  his 
studio  on  Sherman  Avenue,  Alexander  Hesler.  His  pic- 
tures of  Abraham  Lincoln  are  among  the  best  of  the  Lin- 
coln pictures,  and  have  won  for  him  a  place  in  American 
history.  His  photograph  of  one  of  the  old  residents  of 
Evanston,  George  Montieth,  labeled  "The  Old  Rustic/ ' 
won  the  first  prize  at  the  Centennial  Exposition  in  Phila- 
delphia, 1876.  One  of  Hesler 's  pictures  of  Minnehaha 
Falls  inspired  Longfellow  to  write  Hiawatha.  In  1851 
Mr.  Hesler  was  taking  pictures  in  the  Mississippi  Valley 
region,  and  saw  the  beautiful  cascade  a  few  miles  from 
St.  Paul,  then  but  a  small  town.    He  photographed  the 


EVANSTON'S  THOROUGHFARES 


367 


cascade,  and  on  his  return  home  he  presented  the  picture 
to  the  brother  of  Charles  Sumner,  who  took  it  east  and 
gave  it  to  Longfellow.  When  the  poem  was  published, 
Longfellow  sent  a  copy  of  it  to  Hesler,  with  his  compli- 
ments. 

President  McKinley  was  entertained  by  the  members 
of  his  college  fraternity,  the  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon,  at 
their  fraternity  house  at  2031  Sherman  Avenue.  His 
fraternity  brothers  were  anxious  to  make  a  good  impres- 


The  Old  Rustic' 


sion  on  him  and  borrowed  all  the  fine  furniture,  statues 
and  ornaments  that  could  be  borrowed  within  a  radius  of 
a  quarter  of  a  mile.  They  felt  they  had  accomplished 
their  purpose,  when  the  president  spoke  with  admiration 
of  their  fine  furnishings.  That  night,  however,  more 
than  one  brother  slept  with  an  eye  open,  so  fearful  were 
they  that  something  would  happen  to  the  valued  belong- 
ings of  their  kind  neighbors. 

Shuman  Street.     Andrew  Shuman,  editor  Chicago 


368       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Evening  Journal.  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Illinois,  1877- 
1881. 

Simpson  Street.  Bishop  Matthew  Simpson,  Presi- 
dent of  Garrett  Biblical  Institute. 

Stanley  Avenue.  B.  F.  Stanley.  Name  given  by 
C.  L.  Jenks. 

Stewart  Avenue.  John  W.  Stewart,  property  owner 
in  North  Evanston. 

Stockham  Place.  Mrs.  Alice  B.  Stockham,  Evans- 
ton  resident.     (Now  Burnham  Place.) 

Thayer  Street.  John  Culver's  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Thayer. 

Warren  Street.  Henry  A.  Warren,  former  resident 
of  Evanston. 

Wesley  Avenue.  John  Wesley,  Founder  of  Metho- 
dism. 

Wilder  Street.  Aldin  G.  Wilder,  lumber  dealer  in 
Evanston.  He  also  subdivided  lands  in  the  western  part 
of  the  city. 

Willard  Place.  Frances  E.  Willard,  President  of 
Woman's  College;  President  of  Woman's  Christian 
Temperance  Union  and  President  of  World's  Christian 
Temperance  Union. 

Although  the  Illinois,  Miami  and  Potawatomi  In- 
dians had  their  home  on  this  site  for  so  many  years, 
there  is  not  an  Indian  name  given  to  any  thoroughfare  to 
commemorate  either  a  tribe  or  a  chief. 

A  few  items  gleaned  from  one  of  the  dusty  record 
books  in  the  city  hall,  show  some  interesting  facts.  Main 
Street  was  called  Lincoln  Avenue  for  a  number  of  years. 
It  was  changed  to  Evanston  Avenue  in  1891,  and  later  re- 
ceived its  present  name.    In  1890,  Ashland  was  Simpson 


EVANSTON'S  THOROUGHFARES  369 

Street.  The  present  Michigan  Avenue  was  Wheeler 
Street  in  1890,  then  received  the  name  of  Congress, 
changing  to  Michigan  Avenue  later.  Forest  Avenue, 
also,  was  Wheeler  at  one  time. 

There  was  an  ordinance  passed  to  clay  and  gravel 
Lee  Street  from  Forest  Avenue  east  in  1889.  Benson 
Avenue  was  ordered  improved  in  1889.  In  1890  Ridge 
Avenue  was  paved  with  cedar  blocks  from  Crain  Street 
to  Howard  Street.  Lincoln  Avenue  (Main  Street)  was 
paved  with  cedar  blocks  from  Chicago  Avenue  to  the 
Ridge,  in  1890. 

Wheeler  Street  (Michigan  Avenue)  was  macadam- 
ized in  1891. 

The  first  sidewalks  were  made  of  clay  and  gravel  in 
the  business  section.  Later  a  single  plank  was  laid 
lengthwise.  Then  Obadiah  Huse  suggested  laying  two 
planks  parallel  to  each  other,  with  space  between.  This 
style  of  walk  served  until  the  walks  of  boards  laid  cross- 
wise came  into  use.  The  length  of  these  boards,  which 
was  the  width  of  the  sidewalk,  was  determined  by  village 
ordinance. 

The  triangle  south  of  Fountain  Square  was  a  hay- 
market  until  a  street  railway  began  to  be  considered  in 
the  eighties.  Here  hay  could  be  bought  by  the  ton  (not 
baled),  and  wood  by  the  cord.  There  was  a  drinking 
trough  for  horses,  and  later  a  huge  flag  pole,  donated  by 
Fort  Dearborn  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  American  Rev- 
olution, which  attracted  the  lightning  and  was  finally 
taken  away.  There  was  a  chestnut  tree  of  immense  pro- 
portions in  the  triangle  that  had  to  be  removed  to  give 
space  for  street  cars.  This  was  taken  up  with  great  care 
and  planted  in  Raymond  Park. 


370       EYANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

On  July  4,  1876,  the  fountain  was  dedicated  in  com- 
memoration of  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  Ameri- 
can Independence.  Edward  S.  Taylor,  a  prominent  early 
citizen  of  Evanston,  made  the  dedicatory  speech,  entitled 
"The  Ministry  of  Water/'  of  which  the  following  is  an 
excerpt:  "Evanston  is  a  cold  water  town,  and  in  that 
fountain,  wTith  its  sparkling  water,  we  see  a  symbol  of  a 
prosperous,  peaceful  and  law  abiding  people,  and  what  is 
more  wonderful  to  contemplate  than  the  ministry  of 
water.  It  antagonizes  and  quenches  the  destructive  con- 
flagration; it  floats  the  commerce  of  the  world,  and  its 
latent  power  developed  gives  added  impulse  to  that  com- 
merce, and  the  same  power  moves  your  burdened  train 
across  the  continent,  connecting  ocean  and  ocean.' '  The 
fountain  itself  was  but  a  crude  affair,  with  but  a  wooden 
foundation.  There  were  no  shade  trees  and  no  shrubbery 
around  it.  A  few  years  previous  to  this  time,  there  was 
marshy  ground  all  around,  with  a  tiny  island  a  block 
south  of  the  square,  where  the  police  station  was  built 
later.  The  water  was  so  deep,  an  early  settler  had  to 
use  a  boat,  in  going  after  his  cattle  that  had  swum  to  a 
little  island  in  the  marsh,  to  get  them  back  on  high  ground 
on  the  ridge.  The  only  way  of  crossing  the  slough  was  a 
roadway  built  where  Fountain  Square  now  stands.  The 
roadway  was  made  of  rails  and  hay. 

Samuel  Eeed,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Evanston,  held 
the  office  of  street  commissioner  for  over  forty  years. 

(The  list  of  street  names,  with  origins,  is  taken 
mostly  from  Hurd's  History  of  Evanston,  Munsell  Pub- 
lishing Company,  by  permission  of  William  P.  Munsell.) 


Chapter  XXI 
TRANSPORTATION 

BEGINNING  with  the  earliest  mode  of  transporta- 
tion, we  see  the  early  explorers, — Marquette,  Joliet, 
LaSalle,  Tonti, — swiftly  covering  great  distances  in  their 
birchbark  canoes  over  the  surface  of  a  smooth  and  smil- 
ing lake,  or  battling  with  the  angry  waves  of  a  storm- 
tossed  sea,  with  that  grim  determination  that  marked  the 
every  act  of  those  brave  and  fearless  men.  Then,  as  the 
shadows  lengthened  and  the  keen  wind  cut  across  their 
faces,  they  drew  their  canoes  out  of  the  waters  of  the  lake 
and,  shouldering  them,  began  their  perilous  journey 
across  the  ice-floes  and  snow,  to  make  a  landing  and  camp 
overnight  on  the  shore  of  the  "Lake  of  Illinois,' '  as  it 
came  to  be  called,  on  account  of  the  Illinois  Indians  fre- 
quenting its  shores.  We  see  the  Indian,  with  his  sure  and 
steady  stroke,  shooting  his  canoe  through  the  water; 
tramping  through  the  forests,  his  canoe  well  balanced  on 
his  shoulder,  as  he  crossed  the  portage,  sometimes  from 
the  Wisconsin  to  the  Fox  River,  or  between  the  Des 
Plaines  and  the  Chicago  Rivers. 

Cattle  were  introduced  into  this  country  by  the 
Spaniards  in  the  sixteenth  century.  Previous  to  the  in- 
troduction of  cattle,  under  which  head  comes  the  horse, 
the  Indian  traveled  by  foot  or  by  using  the  waterways. 
When  Charlevoix  visited  the  Indian  villages  along  the 
Mississippi  River,  in  1721,  he  found  no  horses  north  of 
the  Missouri  River. 


372       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Some  of  the  early  settlers  came  to  Evanston,  or 
Grosse  Pointe,  as  it  was  then  called,  in  the  "  prairie 
schooner''  or  "covered  wagon,"  drawn  by  a  yoke  of 
oxen,  the  men  of  the  party  oftentimes  walking  along  be- 
side the  team,  nrging  the  oxen  to  greater  speed — if  speed 
it  conld  be  called — and  one  or  two  dogs,  belonging  to  the 
families  en  route,  running  along  barking  and  snapping  at 
the  patient  oxen's  heels,  while  the  passengers  inside  the 
wagon  were  jostled  and  bumped  over  the  rough  roads  in 
no  very  comfortable  manner,  but  enduring  the  hardships 
uncomplainingly  for  the  sake  of  the  new  life  they  were 
entering. 

Among  the  early  settlers  who  arrived  in  this  manner 
were  Arunah  Hill,  his  wife  and  seven  children;  George 
Washington  Huntoon  and  his  family ;  David  Norton  Bur- 
roughs, his  wife  and  three  children — the  parents,  brothers 
and  sister  of  Sarah  Burroughs  (later  Mrs.  Charles 
Crain)  who  had  preceded  them,  arriving  in  1842  with  her 
sister,  Captain  Beckwith's  wife,  and  her  brother,  Alonzo 
Burroughs.  They,  also,  had  made  the  trip  from  Ash- 
tabula, Ohio,  in  a  covered  wagon,  but  one  drawn  by 
horses  instead  of  oxen. 

In  those  days,  there  were  no  concrete  bridges  of 
architectural  beauty  to  cross,  but  the  covered  or  hooded 
bridges  of  pioneer  days,  that  the  traveler  encountered 
along  his  route.  The  covered  bridge  was  as  artistic  to 
the  eye  as  the  later,  modern  structure — the  long,  covered 
bridge,  half  hidden  among  the  trees  that  always  mark  the 
course  of  the  smaller  streams.  Those  old-time  bridges 
were  eagerly  watched  for  and  hailed  with  delight  by  the 
younger  members  of  the  families.  The  tread  of  the  oxen 
hoof,  the  rumble  of  the  great  cart  wheels  and  the  sound 


TRANSPORTATION  373 

of  the  lusty  young  voices  echoing  throughout  the  bridge  's 
length  and  breadth  gave  zest  to  the  children's  enjoyment. 
A  sign  at  either  end  of  the  covered  bridge  read,  ' '  $5  Fine 
for  driving  faster  than  a  walk  over  this  bridge. ' ' 

In  Mrs.  Crain's  memoirs,  which  touch  only  on  the 
bright  and  happy  side  of  those  early  days — perhaps  those 
stood  out  clearer  in  her  memory  than  the  hardships,  or 
perhaps  her  kindly  nature  would  spare  us  a  recital  of  the 
dark  side — she  speaks  of  the  lumber  wagon  being  used 
on  festal  occasions.  The  lumber  wagon  evidently  did 
triple  duty.  It  served  in  the  hauling  of  lumber;  it  was 
turned  into  a  conveyance  for  a  merry  group  of  both  old 
and  young  bound  for  the  usual  picnic  grounds,  the  old 
oak  grove  on  the  site  that  later  became  the  University 
grounds.  There  the  very  useful  lumber  wagon's  great 
box  was  lifted  from  its  supports,  inverted  and  set  on  the 
ground  to  be  used  as  a  dinner  table  for  the  merry-makers, 
a  snowy  cloth  spread  thereon  and  a  goodly  supply  of 
edibles  piled  high,  making  a  veritable  banquet. 

Over  the  Green  Bay  Eoad  traveled  the  early  mail 
carriers  on  foot  in  the  winter  seasons  for  twenty  years, 
beginning  in  1816.  In  the  summer  the  mail  was  carried 
by  sailing  vessels. 

The  road  from  Chicago  to  Green  Bay  dates  its  be- 
ginning from  an  act  of  Congress  approved  June  15,  1832, 
for  the  establishment  of  a  road  between  these  points.  The 
first  stage  service  between  Chicago  and  Milwaukee  was 
along  the  Milwaukee  Avenue  route,  according  to  the  best 
records,  about  the  spring  of  1836,  the  proprietor  of  th« 
line  being  one  Lathrop  Johnson,  who  used  an  open  lum- 
ber wagon  for  transporting  mail  and  "such  passengers 
as  might  choose  to  entrust  themselves  to  his  oversight.' ' 


374        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

To  give  dignity  to  his  service  lie  used  four  horses  in- 
stead of  two.  Later  Frink  and  Walker  began  business  in 
the  Chicago  area,  got  the  contract  for  carrying  mail  and 
were  scheduled  to  run  daily  in  winter  and  tri-weekly  in 
summer,  making  the  journey  between  Milwaukee  and 
Chicago  in  one  and  a  half  clays,  stopping  at  Kenosha 
over  night.  Occasionally  the  stage  coach  used  the  Chi- 
cago Avenue  route  through  Evanston  instead  of  Eidge 
Avenue. 

The  Frink  and  Walker  stage  coach  was  a  very  elab- 
orate affair,  compared  with  the  early  lumber  wagon  used 
by  Johnson.  These  four-horse  coaches,  traveling  between 
Chicago  and  Green  Bay,  stopped  at  Baer's  Tavern — 
Seven-Mile  House — now  Rose  Hill;  Mulford's,  the  Ten- 
Mile  House,  and  farther  north  at  Buck-Eye  Hotel,  and 
Wiggiesworth's  Tavern.  Sometimes  the  east  ridge  (Chi- 
cago Avenue  route)  was  chosen  instead  of  Green  Bay 
Eoad,  as  it  was  said  to  be  "less  horrible"  at  some  sea- 
sons of  the  year.  With  the  exception  of  the  stage  coach, 
private  conveyances  were  the  only  means  the  early  set- 
tlers had  of  traveling  to  and  from  Grosse  Pointe. 

William  Cullen  Bryant,  after  riding  in  one  of  the 
stage  coaches  between  Waukegan  and  Chicago,  describes 
it  ' '  Built  after  the  fashion  of  the  English  post  coach,  set 
high  upon  springs ;  the  most  absurd  kind  of  carriage  that 
could  be  devised  for  Illinois  roads.  It  seemed  to  be  set 
high  in  the  air,  that  it  might  be  the  more  easily  over- 
turned. ' '  He  refused  to  make  the  return  trip  in  the  stage 
and  hired  a  private  conveyance. 

James  K.  Calhoun  tells  an  interesting  story  of  the 
old  stage  coaches  in  his  History  of  Glencoe.  A  man  asked 
the  price  of  the  fare  to  Chicago  and  was  given  the  in- 


TRANSPORTATION  375 

formation,  first,  second  and  third  class.  Seeing  all  the 
passengers  together,  mystified,  he  asked  where  he  should 
sit  and  was  told  anywhere.  Soon  the  muddy  roads  were 
reached  and  the  driver  called  out,  "  First  class  passengers 
sit  still;  second  class  get  out  and  walk  and  third  class 
get  out  and  push." 

The  low,  wide  and  roomy  phaeton  came  into  use  in 
the  sixties,  and  the  ladies  carried  the  small  "carriage 
parasol/ '  a  parasol  about  fourteen  inches  in  diameter. 

The  carry-all,  the  trap,  the  shining  fringed-top  sur- 
rey, and  the  Democrat — a  light-bodied  express  wagon 
with  four  crosswise  seats,  to  carry  the  family  to  and  from 
church  and  other  places — each  held  prominent  place. 

Still  in  use  was  the  chaise  (pronounced  shay)  an  open 
or  covered  two-wheeled  carriage  drawn  by  one  horse. 
"Who  has  not  read  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes'  "One  Hoss 
Shay"  that  "ran  a  hundred  years  to  a  day"? 

In  the  eighties  came  the  rubber-tired  "Hug-me- 
tight"  buggies,  probably  so  named  from  the  narrowness 
of  the  vehicle. 

In  winter,  there  was  no  greater  sport  for  the  young 
folks,  than  to  skim  over  the  snow  in  the  light-weight 
sleighs,  tucked  warmly  in  buffalo  robes,  which  in  those 
days  cost  no  more  than  the  commonest  horse  blankets,  or 
to  be  packed  closely  together  in  a  bob-sled,  which  was 
nothing  more  than  a  big  wagon-box  on  runners,  its  floor 
covered  to  a  depth  of  a  foot  or  more  with  hay  or  straw. 

In  the  seventies,  sleighing  and  skating  parties  made 
the  trip  from  Evanston,  following  the  Big  Ditch  to  the 
point  where  it  flowed  into  the  north  branch  of  the  Chi- 
cago River.  At  some  places,  the  Big  Ditch  was  twelve 
feet  wide. 


376       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Sailing  vessels  were  a  big  feature  in  transportation, 
as  many,  to  avoid  the  poor  traveling  over  bad  roads, 
would  embark  in  a  sailing  vessel.  Just  when  one  would 
reach  his  destination,  traveling  this  way,  depended  on 
the  wind — and  the  wind  was  not  dependable.  Fewer  sail- 
ing vessels  were  used  after  the  railroad  went  through 
Evanston  in  1854,  but  still  much  freight  was  carried  on 
the  lake. 

Communication  between  the  east  and  west  was 
mainly  carried  on  by  means  of  the  lake  steamers,  which 
did  an  enormous  business.  In  the  season  of  open  naviga- 
tion (May  to  November)  before  the  advent  of  the  rail- 
roads, many  preferred  the  lake  steamers  to  the  prairie 
schooners  for  traveling.  Western  products  were  trans- 
ported by  water  to  the  east,  and  the  steamers  returned 
laden  with  needful  supplies  for  the  west,  such  as  coal, 
salt,  etc.,  and  lumber  from  the  north. 

In  the  sixties,  the  Davis  Street  pier  held  a  place  of 
great  importance.  This  pier  was  built  in  1857  by  the 
Evanston  Pier  Company,  of  which  George  F.  Foster  was 
president,  and  John  L.  Beveridge,  secretary,  William 
Judson,  son  of  Philo  Judson,  superintending  the  build- 
ing of  it.  Extending  out  twelve  hundred  feet  into  the 
lake, — about  a  quarter  of  a  mile, — with  a  width  of  fifty 
feet,  this  pier  must  have  afforded  an  interesting  sight  to 
the  townspeople  and  their  visitors,  with  steamers  and 
sailing  vessels  flanking  it  on  three  sides ;  men  busily 
engaged  in  the  unloading  of  the  cargoes ;  two-horse  wag- 
ons and  carriages  moving  in  a  steady  line  over  its  broad 
surface. 

Casting  the  eye  farther  out  over  the  bosom  of  the 
lake,  one  could  sight  sailing  vessels,  sometimes  to  the 


TRANSPORTATION  377 

number  of  seventy-five,  their  sails  gracefully  bending 
and  dipping  in  the  lake  breezes.  Fishermen  had  their 
shanties,  boats  and  nets  on  the  sandy  beach  near  the 
Davis  Street  pier. 

The  principal  business  of  the  sailing  vessels  was 
hauling  lumber.  The  bulk  of  the  lumber  business  in 
Evanston  was  done  by  I.  P.  DeCoudries  and  James  Cur- 
rey,  father  of  J.  Seymour  Currey.  DeCoudries  received 
his  lumber  from  saw-mills  in  which  he  had  interest,  situ- 
ated along  the  northern  shores  of  Lake  Michigan.  James 
Currey  purchased  his  supplies  from  the  lumber  market 
in  Chicago.  Lumber  was  brought  from  Chicago  in  ves- 
sels and  towed  to  the  Davis  Street  pier  by  tugs.  An 
ordinary  schooner  load  averaged  70,000  feet  of  lumber, 
two-thirds  of  which  was  stowed  in  the  hold,  and  the  re- 
maining third  piled  on  the  deck  of  the  vessel  to  a  height 
of  six  or  eight  feet,  secured  by  stanchions.  Oftentimes 
the  lumber  on  the  decks  was  swept  overboard  and  lost 
during  heavy  storms.  DeCoudries  sold  out,  in  1871,  to 
Asa  Milton  Allen. 

Mr.  Peeney  was  a  carpenter,  as  well  as  a  saw-mill 
owner,  and  did  work  on  some  of  the  University  buildings. 

John  A.  Pearsons '  house  was  built  in  1854,  three 
years  before  the  first  pier  was  built  in  Evanston.  The 
lumber  for  this  house  was  unloaded  directly  on  the 
shore. 

At  times,  lumber  was  thrown  off  vessels  as  near  to 
shore  as  possible,  and  men  waded  into  the  lake  waist 
deep,  and  the  lumber  was  passed  from  man  to  man,  until 
finally  landed.  The  arrival  of  a  vessel  was  hailed  with 
joy  by  students  in  the  Old  College  Building.  When  a 
lumber  vessel  was  sighted,  the  professor  would  dismiss 


378        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

the  class  and  the  students  would  rush  out  and  leap  aboard 
the  vessel  as  soon  as  it  was  tied  to  the  pier,  and  begin 
to  pass  the  lumber  ashore,  accompanying  their  work  with 
joyous  shouts  and  merry  songs.  A  happy  sight  it  was, 
and  the  work  brought  many  a  needed  dollar  to  the  young 
men's  pockets,  welcome  financial  aid,  as  a  goodly  propor- 
tion of  the  students  was  self-supporting  in  those  days. 

Foster  pier,  the  pier  at  Dempster  Street,  was  built 
some  years  later  than  the  Davis  Street  pier,  by  John 
Foster,  son  of  " Uncle  Billy.' '  It  was  used  principally 
for  unloading  coal  from  ports  on  Lake  Erie.  This  pier 
was  never  as  popular  for  sightseers  as  the  Davis  Street 
pier.  During  the  World's  Fair,  and  for  a  few  years 
after,  both  piers  were  used  for  excursion  steamers.  Ex- 
cursion steamers  made  the  trip  out  from  Chicago  every 
Fourth  of  July.  When  Heck  Hall  was  dedicated  in  1867 
— July  4 — the  steamers,  Orion  and  Seabird,  made  fre- 
quent trips  between  Chicago  and  Evanston  to  bring 
crowds  of  visitors  for  the  "Educational  and  Patriotic 
Jubilee  at  Evanston,"  as  announced  in  the  Chicago 
Tribune,  and  Goodrich's  Side-Wheelers,  chartered  exclu- 
sively for  the  occasion,  made  seven  round  trips  to  Evans- 
ton  Pier. 

In  later  years,  after  1900,  even  had  the  piers  not 
fallen  into  decay,  the  vessels  could  no  longer  have  reached 
them,  as  land  extended  considerably  farther  into  the  lake 
than  in  the  latter  part  of  the  19th  century. 

The  west  was  making  great  strides  in  progress  and 
Evanston  was  coming  in  for  its  share.  The  first  rail- 
road train  passed  through  Evanston  on  its  way  to  Wau- 
kegan,  December  19,  1854.  Ah,  proud  the  day  and  proud 
the  people,  through  whose  towns  the  bravely  puffing, 


TRANSPORTATION  379 

little  wood-burning  engine  drew  its  tender  and  one  lone 
coach,  amid  the  cheers  of  its  admirers! 

Only  a  little  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century — 
twenty-six  years — had  passed  since  the  first  spade  of 
earth  had  been  turned  for  the  first  passenger  railroad  in 
America,  (1828)  and  the  man  to  perform  that  ceremony 
was  Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton,  ninety  years  old,  the 
last  living  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

The  little,  ten-ton,  wood-burning  engine  that  blazed 
the  trail  that  winter  day,  though  a  very  crude  affair,  was 
a  far  cry,  in  the  way  of  development,  from  the  horse-pro- 
pelled cars  of  1830 — the  first  passenger  car  in  America— 
where  a  horse  was  placed  in  the  center  of  the  car  to  run 
a  tread-mill,  which  formed  the  motive  power;  the  pas- 
sengers arranged  along  the  sides  of  the  car,  and  across 
its  top  words  announced  in  large  letters  that  this  was 
the  " Flying  Dutchman."  The  Flying  Dutchman  had  a 
speed  of  thirteen  miles  per  hour.(1)  Evanston's  first  car 
was  a  far  cry  from  the  invention  of  1840,  a  car  that 
looked  like  an  immense  baby-carriage  on  wheels,  carry- 
ing sails ;  or  the  cars  the  first  steam  engine  drew,  which 
were  merely  stage-coach  bodies  set  on  car  trucks.  Far 
removed  from  any  of  these  was  that  proud,  little  engine, 
with  its  clear-toned  bell,  which  was,  in  itself,  almost  an 
innovation  at  the  time. 

Conductor  Charles  George,  who  traveled  for  years  on 
the  train  through  Evanston,  tells  the  following  interest- 
ing story  in  regard  to  the  bell,  in  his  ' '  Forty  Years  on  the 
Eailroad. ' '  In  the  early  days,  the  only  way  the  conductor 
had  of  signaling  the  engineer  was  to  send  word  by  the 


(1)  Sixty-three  years  later  the  No.  999  engine  exhibited  at  the  World's 
Fair  in  Chicago  in  1893  had  broken  all  records  with  a  speed  of  112  miles  per 
hour. 


380       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

brakeman,  who  sometimes  had  to  climb  over  a  dozen 
freight  cars  to  reach  him.  An  old  conductor,  Ayers,  in 
the  east  grew  tired  of  this  poor  system  and  invented  one 
of  his  own,  out  of  which  the  bell-cord  system  grew. 
" Pappy"  Ayers  hung  a  stick  that  would  dangle  in  front 
of  the  engineer's  face,  and  carried  the  rope  attached  to 
it  over  the  whole  length  of  cars.  In  this  way,  he  could 
signal  the  engineer  in  a  moment,  and  the  train  could  be 
brought  to  a  standstill  very  shortly.  However,  he  had 
reckoned  without  his  engineer,  who  stubbornly  refused 
to  use  the  invention,  whereupon  "Pappy"  Ayers 
promptly  gave  him  a  "good  licking"  and  all  went 
smoothly  thereafter.  As  conductors  were  allowed  to 
cater  to  their  own  taste  in  the  matter  of  dress,  the  tall, 
silk  hat  and  Prince  Albert  coat  were  chosen  as  most 
befitting  their  calling.  It  must  have  been  an  awesome 
sight  to  see  "Pappy"  Ayers  discard  his  long  coat  and 
lay  aside  his  high  hat,  with  its  leather  band  across  the 
front  carrying  in  silver  letters  the  word  "Conductor" — 
lay  these  aside,  tenderly  and  solemnly,  and  prepare  to 
subdue  his  rebellious  engineer. 

The  Chicago  and  Galena  Union  Eailroad  was  the 
original  road,  from  which  the  great  corporation — the  Chi- 
cago and  North  Western  Eailroad — may  claim  descent, 
and  as  such  must  have  some  mention.  When  this  road 
was  constructed,  railroad  building  was  in  its  infancy  in 
the  west  and  not  much  more  than  that  anywhere  in  the 
United  States.  In  1835,  there  was  not  a  railroad  built, 
nor  a  corporation  chartered  to  build  a  road  in  Northern 
Illinois.  Chicago  was  but  a  little  village  looking  for  its 
prosperity  to  come  by  boats.  When  subscription  books 
were  opened  to  build  a  road,  "certain  business  men  in 


TRANSPORTATION  381 

Chicago  opposed  the  construction  of  the  road,  on  the 
ground  that  it  might  divert  business  from  Chicago  to 
other  points  along  the  line,"  according  to  Stennett's  his- 
tory of  the  road.  Not  very  far-seeing,  those  business 
men,  as  today  Chicago  is  the  greatest  railroad  center  in 
the  country. 

The  "Pioneer"  was  the  first  engine  bought  by  the 
Chicago  and  Galena  Union  Railroad,  and  it  was  one  of 
the  first  engines  to  run  through  Evanston.  This  engine 
may  be  seen  at  the  Field  Museum. 

An  item  from  a  Chicago  paper,  dated  December  11, 
1849,  states,  in  regard  to  the  first  train  to  run  from 
Chicago  to  St.  Charles :  ' '  Owing  to  the  hasty  manner  in 
which  the  track  was  laid,  it  was  announced  that  the  trains 
would  be  drawn  by  horses  for  the  present." 

The  name  of  the  first  railroad  that  ran  through 
Evanston,  in  1854,  was  the  Chicago  and  Milwaukee.  It 
continued  under  this  name  until  it  was  merged  with  the 
Chicago  and  North  Western  by  permanent  lease  in  1866. 
It  was  ultimately  bought  and  consolidated  with  this 
railroad. 

A  Chicago  paper  of  February  10,  1855,  states  that 
"the  Chicago  and  Milwaukee  Railroad  passes  through 
the  newly  laid  out  towns  of  Chittenden,  Evanston,  Win- 
netka,  and  Port  Clinton."  Rose  Hill  was  formerly  Chit- 
tenden, and  Highland  Park  was  Port  Clinton.  The  end 
of  the  road  was  the  state  line,  nine  miles  north  of  Wau- 
kegan,  but  no  station  is  mentioned  as  being  there.  Later 
the  Milwaukee  and  Chicago  Railroad  was  constructed, 
and  met  the  Chicago  and  Milwaukee  at  the  state  line  and 
the  passengers  were  transferred  from  one  train  to  the 
other.     The    two    roads    eventually   merged   under    one 


382        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

management  and  became  a  part  of  the  Chicago  and  North 
Western  system. 

The  rate  of  fare,  in  1874,  from  Chicago  to  Evanston 
was  fourteen  cents  on  a  hundred-ride  ticket. 

An  excursion  train  ran  from  Chicago  to  Milwaukee, 
June  21,  1855,  according  to  a  letter  written  by  A.  Z. 
Blodgett,  an  employe  of  the  old  railroad  when  it  first 
started.  The  excursion  train  consisted  of  five  flat  cars, 
with  seats  around  the  sides.  There  were  about  two  hun- 
dred persons  on  board.  "We  stopped  the  train  where 
Zion  City  is  now,"  he  writes,  "and  cut  pine  trees  and 
put  them  in  the  sockets  for  shade.' ' 

The  new  road  brought  more  settlers  to  the  vicinity. 
The  location  of  the  station  determined  the  business  sec- 
tion of  the  town.  A  young  man  by  the  name  of  Kearney 
was  contractor  for  the  construction  of  the  road.  He  was 
accompanied  by  his  brother  George,  who  decided  to 
remain.  George  Kearney  built  a  house  north  of  Emer- 
son Street,  west  of  the  Ridge. 

Andrew  J.  Brown  had  bought  the  Carney  farm  in 
1853.  This  farm  lay  west  of  the  present  site  of  the  rail- 
road. When  the  railroad  was  completed  to  Evanston,  Mr. 
Brown  donated  to  the  railroad  company  land  necessary 
for  the  right-of-way,  and  for  the  station,  from  Davis 
Street  to  Church  Street.  It  might  be  mentioned  here  that 
Andrew  Brown  was  a  citizen  of  whom  Evanston  might 
well  be  proud.  He  was  elected  Probate  Judge  in  DeKalb 
County,  in  1840,  on  his  twenty-first  birthday. 

For  a  number  of  years  the  railroad  between  Chicago 
and  Evanston  consisted  of  a  single  track.  In  1882  the 
double  track  was  completed.  As  all  know,  Evanston  has 
always  been  a  "prohibition  town"  but  there  was  plenty 


TRANSPORTATION  383 

of  liquor  to  be  obtained  outside  the  realms  of  Evanston ; 
also,  some  engineers  did  not  hail  from  Evanston,  and 
thereby  hangs  a  tale.  In  1855,  three  trainloads  of  chil- 
dren were  being  brought  from  Chicago  to  Evanston  for 
a  picnic.  At  that  time,  as  stated,  there  was  only  the 
single  track.  The  train  reached  town,  but  failed  to  stop 
at  the  station,  whereupon  the  conductor  and  brakeman 
brought  the  train  to  a  standstill  as  soon  as  they  could 
by  means  of  the  brakes,  just  in  the  nick  of  time,  it  proved, 
as  another  train  was  already  in  sight,  coming  towards 
them  on  the  same  track.  When  the  half-intoxicated  engi- 
neer was  questioned,  he  answered,  "I  was  thinking  what 
a  lot  of  little  angels  there  would  be,  if  I  should  hit  that 
train." 

Evanston  was  the  first  station  north  of  Chicago. 
When  a  train  was  about  half  a  mile  from  the  station,  the 
engineer  would  give  a  long  whistle,  a  signal  to  the  brake- 
man  to  apply  the  brakes  and  bring  the  train  to  a  stand- 
still. If  the  train  had  not  quite  reached  the  station,  it 
was  necessary  to  apply  more  steam ;  the  train  shot  past 
the  station  if  too  much  steam  had  been  turned  on.  The 
horses  were  frightened  by  the  unusual  sight  and  the 
drivers  invariably  had  to  stand  at  their  heads  and  keep 
a  tight  rein  on  them. 

After  the  trains  had  been  running  a  few  years  over 
the  suburban  route  north,  the  directors  of  the  road  held 
a  meeting  to  decide  whether  it  would  pay  to  continue  the 
service,  which  consisted  of  but  one  accommodation  train 
a  day,  stopping  morning  and  evening.  Charles  George, 
who  had  been  invited  to  attend  this  meeting,  strongly 
urged  them  to  continue  to  run  this  train  and  even  made 
the  suggestion  that  they  give  better  service,  predicting 


384        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

that  this  suburban  line  would  one  day  be  the  best  patron- 
ized line  of  the  company.  The  directors  decided  to  follow 
his  advice,  and  also  to  give  better  service.  Time  proved 
Conductor  George  was  right  and  the  directors  had  no 
reason  to  regret  their  course  of  action. 

C.  T.  Bartlett  tells  of  taking  the  train  at  Davis  Street 
station  at  four  in  the  morning,  in  order  to  reach  his  office 
in  the  city  at  seven.  He  arrived  home  in  the  evening  at 
half  past  seven.  A  lantern  was  a  necessity  to  find  the 
road  to  and  from  the  station. 

In  1872  W.  G.  Norkett  became  station  agent  in  South 
Evanston,  and  has  served  in  that  capacity  for  fifty-five 
years. 

Before  the  date,  December  31,  1864,  arrived,  to  turn 
in  the  eighteenth  annual  report,  the  great  consolidation 
of  the  Galena  and  Chicago  Union  Railroad  with  the  Chi- 
cago and  North  Western  Railroad  had  taken  place  and 
the  Galena  and  Chicago  Union  Railroad  had  passed  out  of 
existence.  The  name,  Galena  and  Chicago  Union  Rail- 
road was  a  misnomer,  as  that  railroad  did  not  touch 
Galena. 

In  1856  coal  was  introduced  for  use  in  the  engines. 
The  important  experiment  of  burning  soft  coal  was  tried 
on  the  Galena  Road.  Bituminous  coal  was  used  in  place 
of  wood  and  two  locomotives  were  purchased.  The 
engines  were  not  to  be  paid  for  unless  they  "were  suc- 
cessful with  Illinois  soft  coal." 

One  of  the  heaviest  snows  of  years  occurred  in  1856. 
The  snow  buried  the  tracks  twenty  feet  in  places.  At 
Rose  Hill,  Conductor  George's  train  got  stuck  in  a  snow 
drift  so  deep  that  the  four  little  ten-ton  engines  that 
came  to  the  rescue  failed,  and  a  heavier  engine  had  to  be 


TRANSPORTATION  385 

borrowed  from  another  road.  A  crew  of  200  men  was 
put  to  work  to  clear  the  track,  but  it  was  two  weeks  before 
traffic  could  be  resumed. 

February  9,  1885,  was  the  date  of  another  heavy 
snow-fall.  The  Evanston  train  got  no  further  than  Sum- 
merdale,  and  at  three  in  the  afternoon  another  engine 
drewT  it  back  to  Evanston.  From  Chicago,  the  trains  got 
no  further  than  Clybourn  Junction.  The  side-walks  in 
Evanston  could  not  be  seen,  as  the  snow  was  hip-deep, 
and  they  remained  impassable  until  the  latter  part  of 
March.  The  people  objected  to  the  use  of  the  two  snow- 
plows  the  village  owned,  as  they  were  afraid  the 
heavy  horses  would  damage  the  plank  side-walks  then 
in  use. 

The  first  Pullman  cars  went  into  service  in  the  fall 
of  1858.  They  cost  $1,000  each  and  were  upholstered  in 
plush,  lighted  by  oil  lamps,  heated  with  box  stoves  and 
mounted  on  four-wheel  trucks  with  iron  wheels.  The 
berth  rate  was  fifty  cents  a  night  and,  there  being  no 
porter,  the  brakeman  made  up  the  berths.  Each  car  had 
ten  sleeping  car  sections,  a  linen  locker  and  two  wash- 
rooms.  These  cars  had  flat  tops  like  box  cars. 

Formerly  all  locomotives  had  names  instead  of  num- 
bers. Indian  names  were  used,  also  names  of  towns  and 
names  of  railroad  officials.  Cloud,  Kehotaw,  Black  Hawk, 
Walking  Thunder  and  Shabbona  were  some  of  the  Indian 
names.  So  much  could  be  told  of  Shabbona,  whose  "skin 
was  tawny ;  but  his  soul  was  white. ' '  He  had  always  been 
a  friend  of  the  white  people.  When  the  Indian  tribes 
moved  west,  he  was  urged  to  go,  but  he  did  not  wish  to 
leave  his  white  friends.  At  last  he  consented  to  leave. 
Growing  homesick,  he  returned,  only  to  find  his  land  had 


386       EYANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

been  sold.  He  was  told  he  had  forfeited  his  land  by  his 
absence.  This  discouraged  him  and  he  took  to  intoxi- 
cating drinks  (he  was  a  teetotaler  up  to  that  time)  and 
his  mind  became  affected.  He  was  very  fond  of  the  engine 
that  was  named  in  his  honor  and,  knowing  the  time  it 
was  due  to  arrive  in  the  Chicago  station,  he  would  be  on 
hand  and  standing  proudly  by  its  side,  would  inform  all 
who  went  by  that  the  engine  bore  his  name.  ' '  Shabbona, 
me;  Shabbona,  me/'  he  would  say  over  and  over  again, 
pointing  to  himself. 

In  1864,  Orrington  Lunt,  John  Evans,  and  a  few 
other  persons,  formed  a  corporation  under  the  name  of 
Chicago  and  Evanston  Railroad  Company.  The  railroad 
to  be  constructed  was  to  be  either  for  steam  or  horse  cars 
and  to  connect  with  the  horse  cars  at  Fullerton  Avenue 
in  Chicago.  Nothing  came  of  this  until  1887,  when  the 
Chicago,  Evanston  and  Lake  Superior  Eailway  Company, 
a  new  corporation,  pushed  the  project  to  completion  as 
far  as  Calvary  Cemetery,  and  obtained  rights  to  construct 
the  road  through  South  Evanston  and  Evanston.  The 
Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Eailway  Company  then 
obtained  control  of  the  road  and  operated  it  as  a 
local  line. 

In  the  seventies,  a  bus  owned  by  the  Powers  and 
Schwall  Livery  and  Bus  Company,  and  later  by  Andrew 
Schwall,  each  day  met  the  evening  train.  It  also  carried 
the  ladies  to  their  afternoon  parties.  The  Schwall  Livery 
Stable,  located  on  Sherman  Avenue  between  Davis  and 
Lake  Streets,  was  next  door  to  the  famous  u  Round 
House, ' '  which  had  degenerated  into  a  tenement  building, 
housing  some  of  the  colored  population.  "Andy"  Schwall 
was  a  familiar  figure  sitting  in  front  of  his  place  of 


TRANSPORTATION  387 

business  or  driving  his  well-kept  horses  from  the  high 
seat  on  the  top  of  the  old  omnibus. 

In  1892,  the  Chicago  and  North  Shore  Street  Kail- 
way  Company  was  formed.  Their  electric  cars  connected 
with  the  cable  cars  in  Chicago  at  the  Wrightwood  Avenue 
barns,  Wrightwood  and  Sheffield  Avenues,  where  another 
fare,  five  cents,  was  demanded  to  carry  the  passenger  to 
Dempster  Street.  In  1893  the  street  cars  ran  north  as 
far  as  Emerson  Street.  At  that  time  Chicago's  street 
cars  were  propelled  either  by  cable  or  horses,  no  electric 
cars,  as  yet,  being  in  use,  so  Evanston,  made  a  city  only 
that  year,  1892,  was  already  surpassing  its  larger  sister 
city  to  the  south,  in  having  an  electrified  street  railway 
system. 

In  the  late  nineties  the  automobile  came  into  exist- 
ence. Horses  shied  at  its  appearance  and  their  drivers 
had  to  stand  by  their  heads  until  the  "devil-wagon"  had 
passed.  Bicyclists  felt  that  the  automobile  drivers  were 
trying  to  run  them  down.  Not  in  those  days  were  these 
conveyances  ever  designated  as  cars  or  machines.  They 
were  automobiles,  the  word  being  pronounced  in  various 
ways,  with  the  accent  on  first,  third  or  last  syllable.  One 
day  Evanston  opened  its  eyes — one  of  its  own  citizens, 
Edwin  Brown,  was  the  proud  owner  of  an  automobile, 
the  first  one  owned  in  Evanston.  This  first  automobile 
was  on  exhibit  for  many  successive  years  at  automobile 
shows,  being  on  a  raised  platform  in  the  center  of  the 
Coliseum  building.  It  was  finally  burned  when  the  house, 
in  which  it  was  stored  at  Mr.  Brown's  place  in  Evanston, 
burned.  Mr.  Brown  was  the  first  president  of  the  Chicago 
Bicycle  Club  of  Chicago.  This  club  made  a  run  to  Canada 
at  one  time.    Mr.  Brown  rode — before  the  safety  came 


388        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

into  existence — the  high  bicycle,  large  front  wheel  and 
small  rear.  Later  the  wheels  of  the  machines  were 
reversed,  the  small  wheel  being  placed  in  front.  Looking 
at  these  unwieldy  shaped  affairs,  we  do  not  wonder  at 
the  name  safety  being  bestowed  on  the  later  machines, 
where  the  wheels  were  the  same  size. 


Chapter  XXII 
DRAINAGE,  WATER  AND  LIGHT 

WITH  the  exception  of  the  University  grounds  and 
the  land  along  the  Ridge,  the  site  of  Evanston  was 
low,  swampy  ground.  The  children  from  the  east  ridge 
(Chicago  Avenue)  were  forced  to  use  rafts  or  boats  to 
reach  the  log  school  house  on  the  Ridge.  Cows,  which 
in  those  days  were  allowed  to  roam  at  will,  frequently 
became  mired  and  had  to  be  pried  out  of  the  swampy 
ground  by  rails.  The  people  on  the  two  ridges  found  the 
swamp  a  barrier  to  neighborly  relations. 

The  ridges  running  north  and  south  through  Grosse 
Pointe,  and  Dutch  Ridge  west  of  it,  prevented  drainage 
of  the  land  lying  between  them.  Wooden  box  drains 
emptying  into  the  lake  and  into  the  North  Branch  of 
the  Chicago  River  made  the  land  between  the  ridges 
habitable. 

Edward  Mulford,  living  on  the  Ridge  and  what  was 
later  Mulford  Street,  and  Edward  Murphy,  living  at 
the  Indian  boundary  line  and  the  lake,  noting  the  exist- 
ing conditions,  decided  to  construct  a  much  needed  ditch ; 
consequently  in  the  forties  " Mulford 's  ditch' '  was  con- 
structed between  the  east  and  the  west  ridges,  and  this 
was  the  first  attempt  to  drain  and  redeem  the  swamp  land. 

" Mulford 's  Ditch' '  consisted  of  a  wooden  box-drain, 
and  ran  half  way  between  the  east  and  west  ridges  (Chi- 
cago Avenue  and  Ridge  Avenue),  and  emptied  into  the 
lake  through  a  ravine  between  the  college  campus  and 


390       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

the  site  of  the  first  Biblical  Institute  building,  Dempster 
Hall. 

Dutch  Eidge,  according  to  Hurd's  History,  begins 
in  Winnetka  at  the  south  end  of  the  bluff  along  the  shore, 
runs  in  a  southwesterly  direction  toward  the  North 
Branch  of  the  Chicago  Kiver  and  ends  near  Niles  Center. 
Evanston 's  highest  ridge,  Kidge  Avenue,  begins  at  the 
Ridge  and  the  lake,  runs  south  to  Bowmanville  and  termi- 
nates at  the  North  Branch  of  the  Chicago  Eiver.  The 
east  ridge,  which  is  Chicago  Avenue  through  Evanston, 
commences  on  the  campus  at  the  lake  shore,  runs  south 
through  Evanston  and  Lake  View,  and  ends  at  Lincoln 
Park.  There  is  yet  another  ridge  running  through  Evans- 
ton, the  low  one  on  Forest  Avenue. 

Some  parts  of  the  land  lying  between  the  ridges  were 
under  water  and  impassable  the  year  around. 

The  land  just  west  of  Eidge  Eoad  was  prairie  land. 
Further  west,  near  Dutch  Eidge,  was  timber  land.  This 
latter  was  called  the  Big  Woods.  To  the  south  of  the 
Big  Woods,  at  Eose  Hill,  the  land  was  almost  barren  of 
trees,  and  here  again  was  prairie  land.  The  road  running 
through  the  prairie  land  south  of  Eose  Hill  was  known 
as  Prairie  Eoad. 

The  Drainage  Commission  was  formed  February  15, 
1855,  especially  for  the  purpose  of  draining  the  wet  lands 
in  Townships  41  and  42,  Eanges  13  and  14,  and  certain 
sections  in  Township  40,  of  Eange  13,  and  the  commission 
was  given  power  "to  lay  out,  locate,  construct,  complete 
and  alter  ditches,  embankments,  culverts,  bridges  and 
roads,  and  maintain  and  keep  the  same  in  repair.' '  The 
members  of  the  commission  were  Harvey  B.  Hurd, 
George  M.  Huntoon,  James  B.  Colvin,  John  Beveridge, 


DRAINAGE,  WATER  AND  LIGHT  391 

and  John  H.  Foster.  A.  Gr.  Wilder  was  later  put  in  Dr. 
Foster's  place  as  he,  Dr.  Foster,  resided  in  Chicago. 
Mr.  Hurd  was  secretary,  and  he  virtually  controlled 
operation. 

The  only  road  leading  to  Chicago  west  of  Evanston 
was  one  east  of  the  Big  Woods,  running  from  Emmer- 
son's  barn  through  Bowmanville.  This  road  could  be 
used  only  part  of  the  year,  in  the  late  summer  and  when 
the  ground  was  frozen.  The  first  work  undertaken  by 
the  commissioners  was  making  a  ditch  on  the  west  side 
of  it.  The  earth  thrown  up  onto  this  road  helped  make 
it  passable. 

The  next  work  was  the  construction  of  the  Big  Ditch. 
The  Big  Ditch  was  located  between  the  Big  Woods  and 
the  west  ridge  (Ridge  Avenue).  The  description,  in 
Hurd's  History  of  the  Big  Ditch  is  as  follows:  "It  was 
so  shaped  that  the  north  end  of  it,  from  the  north  side 
of  Center  Street  on  the  town  line  between  Evanston  and 
New  Trier  emptied  into  the  lake,  and  from  the  south  side 
of  Center  Street,  the  water  was  carried  south,  emptying 
into  the  North  Branch  at  a  point  about  three-fourths  of 
a  mile  northwest  of  Bowmanville.,, 

Cutting  across  the  prairie  due  west,  several  ditches 
were  constructed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  create  roads — 
Rogers  Road  beginning  at  the  Rogers '  home  and  running 
to  Niles  Center,  Mulford  Road  (Church  Street)  running 
to  the  Big  Woods,  and  Emmerson  Road,  now  Emerson 
Street. 

The  Mulford  Ditch,  which  had  gone  pretty  much  to 
decay  by  1850,  was  enlarged  and  furnished  fair  drain- 
age between  the  east  and  west  ridges. 

The  north  end  of  the  Big  Ditch  was  later  enlarged 


392       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

and  extended  toward  the  south  so  as  to  allow  drainage 
toward  the  lake  from  Church  Street.  In  time,  the  city 
installed  the  sewerage  system  to  replace  these  crude 
attempts  at  draining. 

All  the  roads  constructed  by  the  commission  have 
been  extended  and  improved  and  are  not  only  principal 
highways,  but  legal  highways,  as  the  owners  of  the  land 
through  which  the  roads  ran  found  them  of  such  benefit, 
they  showed  no  desire  to  fence  them  off  before  the 
twenty  years  expired,  as  they  had  a  right  to  do.  The 
law  under  which  the  roads  were  constructed  was  eventu- 
ally declared  void. 

Drainage  was  first  done  in  South  Evanston  by  means 
of  wooden  box-drains  both  on  Keeney  Street  and  on  Main 
Street  from  the  railroad  to  the  lake.  At  the  east  ridge, 
Chicago  Avenue,  the  Main  Street  drain  was  cut  deep 
enough  to  drain  the  land  between  the  ridges.  The  drain 
at  this  place  was  constructed  of  brick. 

When  the  first  ditch  was  being  constructed  along  the 
west  side  of  the  Big  Woods  Road,  the  Big  Woods  people 
came  out  with  pitch  forks  and  clubs  and  tried  to  drive 
off  the  engineer  and  his  workers,  but  the  engineer  was 
firm  and  held  to  his  purpose. 

WATER 

Before  1875,  Evanston 's  water  supply  was  obtained 
from  wells  and  cisterns.  Credit  is  due  Charles  J.  Gilbert 
for  his  preseverance  and  persistence  in  the  fight  for  a 
water  plant.  For  his  activity  in  the  carrying  through 
of  this  project,  he  became  known  as  Father  of  the 
Evanston  Water  Works.  In  1874,  the  first  engine  was 
purchased  at  a  cost  of  $24,000,  and  installed,  the  water 


DRAINAGE,  WATER  AND  LIGHT 


393 


being  carried  from  the  bottom  of  the  lake  twelve  hundred 
feet  out  through  a  16  inch  intake  pipe.  This  engine  was 
named  C.  J.  Gilbert.  In  1889,  a  30  inch  intake  pipe  ran 
2,600  feet  out  into  the  lake  to  a  submerged  crib.  In  1886, 
another  engine  was  installed,  and  in  1897,  a  third  engine 


4 


*> 


■^wmmmm: 


South  Evanston  Water  Works  Tower, 
Demolished  1902 


was  added.  The  first  engine  was  run  continuously  for 
seventeen  years  averaging  23.7  hours  out  of  every  24 
hours.  An  artesian  well  at  Chicago  Avenue  and  Wash- 
ington Street,  bored  to  the  depth  of  2,600  feet  and  gush- 


394       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


ing  up  60  feet  above  the  ground,  furnished  the  water  sup- 
ply for  South  Evanston.  This  water  was  so  hard  that 
the  residents  of  South  Evanston  soon  grew  tired  of  it, 
and  desired  lake  water.  The  intake  pipe  for  South  Evans- 
ton's  supply  of  water  was  situated  only  600  feet  from 
the  place  the  Main  Street  sewer  emptied  into  the  lake, 
thus  contaminating  the  water.  In  1892,  the  question  of 
annexation  of  South  Evanston  to  the  village  of  Evanston 
was  put  to  the  vote  and  carried.  This  annexation  gave 
South  Evanston  pure  water  through  the  Evanston  water 
mains. 

LIGHT 

Up  to  1871,  the  only  street  lighting  Evanston  had 
was  "by  means  of  kerosene  lamps,  not  satisfactory  at  best. 
Then  the  Northwestern  Gas  Light  and  Coke  Company 
erected  a  small  plant  and  furnished  gas  to  a  limited  num- 
ber, but  not  until  five  years  later  was  gas  used  in  the 
street  lamps.  In  1890,  South  Evanston  was  lighted  by 
electricity  and  was  the  only  municipality  so  lighted 
between  Chicago  and  Waukegan.  The  lighting  plant  was 
operated  by  the  same  crew  of  men  and  by  the  same  boiler 
that  operated  the  water  tower.  The  artesian  well  tower 
just  south  of  the  fire  house  at  Kedzie  Avenue  was  120 
feet  high,  circular  in  shape,  and  16  feet  in  diameter.  The 
lower  portion  was  made  of  brick  and  the  upper  40  feet 
was  an  iron  tank  15  feet  in  diameter.  At  first,  the  natural 
flow  of  water  kept  the  tank  full,  but  this  diminished  in 
time.  After  South  Evanston  was  annexed  to  the  village 
of  Evanston  in  1892,  the  tower's  usefulness  as  part  of  the 
water  works  system  was  ended,  and  for  the  next  ten  years 


DRAINAGE,  WATER  AND  LIGHT  395 

it  was  used  solely  for  lighting.  A  cluster  of  powerful 
electric  lights  surrounded  the  tower,  lighting  the  neigh- 
borhood for  blocks  around,  and  was  plainly  visible  to 
mariners  far  out  on  the  lake.  The  faithful  light  tenders 
performed  their  duties  in  all  kinds  of  weather,  climbing 
the  stairs  within  the  lower  walls  of  the  tower,  then  emerg- 
ing through  a  small  opening  in  the  wall  to  a  balcony  at 
the  base  of  the  tank,  and  climbing  the  remaining  forty 
feet,  clinging  to  a  line  of  rungs,  on  the  outside  of  the 
tank.  In  the  ten  years  this  tower  was  used  as  a  beacon, 
not  once  did  the  light  tenders  fail  in  their  duty.  In  1895, 
Evanston  discontinued  using  the  gas  street  lamps  and 
substituted  electricity  for  street  lighting,  having  entered 
into  a  contract  with  the  Evanston  Electric  Illuminating 
Company. 


Chapter  XXIII 
PUBLICATIONS 

PEOFESSOR  W.  P.  JON"ES,  founder  of  the  North- 
western Female  College,  is  entitled  to  the  distinction 
of  having  the  first  paper  ever  printed  in  Evanston.  This 
was  The  Casket  and  Budget,  a  little  four  page  sheet  pub- 
lished by  his  students,  dated  December,  1858.  This  little 
paper  tells  more  than  is  divulged  by  its  printed  words. 
The  fact  that  the  first  page,  only  eight  by  ten  inches  in 
size,  gives  space  in  its  three  columns  to  two  poems  to 
"Mother,"  one  quite  a  lengthy  one,  and  on  the  second 
page,  another  "Mother"  poem,  makes  one  ponder  for  a 
moment  on  the  loneliness  and  homesickness  of  the  stu- 
dents, trying  to  lessen  the  ache  in  their  hearts  by  this 
expression  of  love. 

In  1864,  The  Suburban  Idea  appeared,  a  four  page, 
four  column  paper,  edited  and  published  by  the  Reverend 
Nathan  Sheppard,  a  man  of  high  ideals.  Later  he  was 
the  author  of  a  number  of  well-known  books.  His  paper 
lived  but  one  year  and  had  no  successor  for  seven 
years. 

On  June  8,  1872,  The  Evanston  Index,  a  three  col- 
umn, fifteen  by  twenty  page  paper,  began  a  useful  and 
active  existence,  and  became  an  important  factor  in 
Evanston's  home  life,  as  well  as  in  its  official  and  political 
life,  for  over  thirty  years.  The  idea  of  a  community 
paper  in  Evanston  originated  with  Alfred  L.  Sewell,  who 
with  John   E.   Miller  had   been  publishing  The  Little 


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398       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Corporal,  a  juvenile  paper  edited  by  Mrs.  Emily  Hunting- 
ton Miller.  The  first  copy  of  The  Evanston  Index  carries 
on  its  first  page  the  statement  beneath  its  name,  "Issued 
every  Saturday,  at  one  o  'clock  P.  M.,  for  the  convenience 
of  Evanston  and  adjacent  villages."  The  paper's  office 
in  Evanston  was  at  Mr.  Sewell's  residence;  in  Chicago, 
the  Steam  Printing  Eooms  of  Alfred  L.  Sewell  and  Com- 
pany, 75  West  Washington  Street,  corner  of  Jefferson 
Street.  The  price  was  one  dollar  a  year  in  advance.  In 
the  same  column  that  gives  this  information,  are  printed 
the  advertising  rates  and  beneath  them  the  following: 
"The  Index  is  not  a  newspaper,  and  therefore  does  not 
attempt  to  rival  the  City  Dailies.  .  .  The  question,  'What 
then  is  this  Stripling?'  is  answered,  'Simply  a  local  Index 
of  the  rapidly  unfolding  life  of  our  beautiful  triple  vil- 
lage, its  fluctuations  and  its  vast  concerns.'  'Small?'  did 
you  say,  Sir  or  Madam?  Would  you  make  an  index  larger 
than  the  volume?  This  index  is  expected  to  grow  as  the 
village  grows,  both  in  size  and  usefulness,  so  that  in  the 
near  future,  which  will  give  this  triple  Evanston — three 
in  one  and  one  in  three — a  population  of  fifteen  thousand 
souls,  the  Index  will  be  as  large  as  the  people  desire  to 
have  it." 

The  column  to  the  left  carries  John  Culver's  real 
estate  advertisement,  offering  lots  in  North  Evanston 
50  x  150,  with  sidewalks,  and  ornamented  with  shade 
trees,  $500  to  $1,000  each.  In  the  column  to  the  right, 
Huntoon  and  Gamble  advertise  groceries;  L.  C.  Pitner, 
real  estate ;  I.  B.  Lampkin,  boots  and  shoes. 

Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  first  family  newspaper 
in  Evanston,  the  forerunner  of  the  Evanston  News-Index. 
The  Index  had  scarcely  reached  its  first  birthday,  when 


PUBLICATIONS  399 

Mr.  Sewell  opened  a  printing  plant  in  Evanston  and  The 
Index  began  to  be  published  in  its  home  town. 

John  A.  Childs,  who  had  been  with  the  paper  from 
its  beginning,  bought  out  Mr.  Sewell 's  interest,  together 
with  David  Cavan,  in  November,  1875,  becoming  sole 
owner  two  years  later. 

The  Evanston  Herald  made  its  appearance  in  1875, 
and  the  following  spring  it  became  part  of  The  Index. 
This  paper  was  published  in  a  building  on  Davis  Street, 
that  in  later  years  housed  the  Star  Theater.  One  night 
fire  broke  out  in  the  printing  plant,  and  the  citizens 
rushed  to  its  rescue.  Dumping  the  type  matter  in  buckets, 
they  carried  it  to  safety.  Even  the  youngest  child  printer 
in  school  can  appreciate  the  pi  that  resulted  from  this 
kind  act. 

The  Evanston  Press  had  its  birth  January  5,  1889. 
Frances  E.  Willard  contributed  to  this  paper  weekly  for 
a  year,  An  Old  Timer's  Story  of  Evanston,  and  so  wide- 
spread did  the  interest  in  Miss  Willard 's  articles  become 
that  the  paper  had  one  thousand  paid  subscribers  before 
its  third  issue  was  printed.  The  publishers  were  two 
young  men  just  out  of  college,  Eobert  0.  Vandercook  and 
Edwin  L.  Shuman,  the  latter  withdrawing  at  the  end  of 
one  year.  The  Evanston  Press  grew  out  of  a  toy  printing 
press  received  in  trade  for  a  "boyish  knicknack"  by  an 
older  brother.  This  toy  printing  press  was  traded  for  a 
larger  and  better  one,  which  in  time  was  turned  over  for 
a  still  better  one.  On  leaving  high  school,  Eobert  Van- 
dercook, who  had  bought  out  the  older  brother  in  the 
beginning,  had  a  $500  plant,  and  had  earned  all  but  forty 
dollars  of  the  amount  that  went  into  it.  He  published 
The  High  School  Budget  for  one  year. 


400       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

A  corporation,  with  Robert  Vandercook  at  the  head, 
was  formed  and  was  known  as  The  University  Press 
Company.  Good  old  Dr.  Cummings,  president  of  the 
University,  strongly  advised  the  founders  to  go  slowly, 
in  order  to  avoid  disappointment  to  themselves  and 
friends,  fearing,  with  their  slight  experience,  that  their 
venture  would  result  only  in  failure.  In  spite  of  his  warn- 
ing, the  University  Press  Company  refused  to  give  up, 
and  was  incorporated  under  the  State  laws  of  Illinois. 
The  University  Trustees  gave  the  new  corporation  space 
in  the  basement  of  the  gymnasium  building,  with  lights, 
fuel  and  janitor  service  free. 

Students  earned  money  by  setting  type  for  The 
Northwestern,  and  doing  catalogue  and  other  necessary 
printing  for  the  college.  Two  years  after  the  birth  of  the 
Evanston  Press,  the  corporation  changed  its  name  to  The 
Evanston  Press  Company. 

The  Press  was  published  for  six  years  in  the  Simp- 
son Market  Building,  southeast  corner  of  Fountain 
Square,  and  the  next  five  years  in  the  Park  building  on 
Davis  Street. 

During  the  Spanish-American  war,  the  Chicago 
papers  were  compelled  to  suspend  publication  on  account 
of  a  strike  in  the  mechanical  departments,  and  the  Index 
and  the  Press  were  sold  on  Chicago  streets.  The  Press 
had  a  special  correspondent  at  Washington,  and  got  out 
three  editions  a  day. 

Milton  A.  Smith  published  The  Evanston  Daily 
News,  which  lived  only  from  November,  1897,  to  Feb- 
ruary, 1898. 

L.  C.  Pitner  published,  after  the  Chicago  fire  in 
1871,  The  Real  Estate  News,  a  four  page  paper. 


PUBLICATIONS  401 

Harry  W.  Taylor  published  The  Lake  Breeze,  in 
1875. 

A  weekly  newspaper,  The  Evanston  Citizen,  a  strong 
prohibition  paper,  was  published  in  1882  by  William 
DufTell.  Its  last  number  appeared  nine  years  later, 
December,  1891. 

The  Northwestern  grew  out  of  two  University 
papers,  The  Tripod  and  The  Vidette,  in  1881.  The  Tri- 
pod was  first  issued  in  1871,  a  three  column,  twelve  page, 
monthly  magazine.  The  Vidette  was  semi-monthly,  pub- 
lished by  the  entire  student  body. 

The  Northwestern  was  published  by  the  fraternity 
students.  Their  rivals,  the  non-frats,  began  a  paper  of 
their  own  called  The  Northwestern  World,  a  weekly,  liv- 
ing from  October,  1890,  to  June,  1892,  when  it  went  out 
of  existence,  as  its  editor  became  a  fraternity  brother. 

A  war  broke  out  in  1890  between  the  frats  and  the 
non-frats.  Each  side  worked  hard  for  the  advertising 
patronage  of  the  local  business  houses.  One  day  a  dry- 
goods  man  announced  he  could  advertise  in  but  one  of 
the  college  papers  and  that  one  would  be  the  paper  that 
brought  the  best  results  to  an  advertisement  he  would 
insert  in  each  paper  the  following  Saturday  for  a  special 
sale.  In  the  frat  organ,  The  Northwestern,  he  would 
advertise  underwear;  in  the  non-frat  paper,  The  North- 
western World,  kid  gloves.  Before  the  doors  of  the  store 
opened  for  business  on  the  day  of  the  sale,  each  side  had 
rallied  its  forces,  relatives,  friends  and  acquaintances, 
and  a  long  line  of  students  was  waiting.  The  first  pair  of 
gloves  was  bought  by  the  veteran  Captain  of  the  Life 
Saving  Crew,  who  being  a  non-fraternity  man,  felt  he 
must  stand  by  that  side. 

26 


402        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Each  side  felt  confident  of  winning  as  the  sales  went 
merrily  on,  nntil  the  frat  men  saw  a  long  line  of  Bibs 
(Biblical  students), — more  than  a  hundred  of  them  lined 
up  to  buy  gloves, — and  then  the  frat  men  began  to  see 
defeat.  Never  before  in  the  history  of  Evanston,  nor 
probably  since,  has  there  been  a  day  of  such  tremendous 
sale  of  kid  gloves  and  underwear.  The  contest  was  won 
by  the  Barbs — the  non-frats — and  the  triumphant  cry  that 
went  up  from  their  throats  when  the  dry-goods  man  made 
the  announcement,  could  be  heard  for  blocks  around. 

The  first  periodical  of  the  colored  citizens  was  The 
Afro-American  Budget,  a  monthly  magazine  published 
in  1889. 

In  1900,  William  Lord  published  The  Noon,  a  poetry 
magazine,  which  ran  for  two  years. 

Such  were  the  various  publications,  each  one  frail 
and  weak  in  the  beginning,  gaining  in  strength  as  time 
went  on ;  some  struggling  on  alone,  some  joining  with 
others,  "growing  as  the  city  grew,  both  in  size  and  use- 
fulness, rapidly  unfolding  the  city's  life,  its  fluctuations 
and  its  vast  concerns,' ' — to  borrow  Mr.  Sewell's  words. 


Chapter  XXIV 
EVANSTON  PARKS 

IN  THE  days  before  Northwestern  University  came  into 
existence,  and  for  a  few  years  after,  the  townspeople 
used  the  beautiful  grove  on  Dr.  Foster's  land — later 
the  campus — as  picnic  grounds  and  a  pleasure  park. 
The  high  ground  overlooking  the  lake,  covered  by 
luxuriant  trees,  and  easily  reached  during  the  sum- 
mer months,  made  an  ideal  playground  for  young  and 
old. 

Evanston  was  platted  by  Philo  Judson,  business 
agent  of  the  University,  and  Andrew  J.  Brown  in  the 
winter  of  1853  and  1854.  With  a  spacious  campus  planned 
for  the  University,  these  men  began  to  lay  out  a  real  City 
Beautiful,  which  could  be  accomplished  only  by  leaving 
open  spaces  for  parks.  As  a  shore  beautified  into  parks 
adds  immeasurably  to  the  attractions  of  a  town,  a  large 
part  of  the  land  along  the  lake  was  laid  out  for  park 
purposes. 

Each  of  the  three  parks  along  the  lake  front  was 
given  the  name  of  Lake  Front  Park.  Lake  Front  Park, 
extending  from  University  Place  to  Greenwood  Boule- 
vard, contains  fifteen  acres.  Lake  Front  Park,  lying  be- 
tween Greenwood  Boulevard  and  Hamilton,  contains  a 
little  more  than  one  and  a  half  acres.  Lake  Front  Park, 
between  Greenleaf  and  Lee  Streets,  contains  one  and  a 
quarter  acres. 

There  are  a  number  of  small  parks  scattered  over 


404       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Evanston — Ackerman  Park,  Commercial  Park,  Elling- 
wood  Park,  Howell  Park,  Quinlan  Park. 

Bell  Park  is  a  park  of  less  than  half  an  acre,  located 
at  the  end  of  Davis  Street  on  Forest  Place.  It  was  named 
for  Captain  Bell,  a  steamboat  captain,  who  retired  in 
1876,  and  resided  in  Evanston  until  his  death  in  1899. 

Boltwood  Park,  sixteen  and  one-fourth  acres,  lying 
north  of  Main  Street,  between  Dodge  and  Florence  Ave- 
nues, was  named,  in  1918,  in  honor  of  Professor  Henry 
Leonidas  Boltwood,  who  established  the  Evanston  Town- 
ship High  School. 

The  Chicago  and  North  Western  Railway  Park  lies 
west  of  Dewey  Avenue,  between  Davis  and  Church 
Streets. 

Clark  Square,  the  first  park  in  South  Evanston,  was 
named  for  Alexander  Clark.  It  is  three  and  one-quarter 
acres  in  size,  and  lies  between  Main  and  Kedzie  Streets, 
and  east  of  Sheridan  Eoad.  The  lake  was  gradually  eat- 
ing up  the  land  of  this  block  along  the  shore.  Some  men 
from  the  east  who  had  gained  control  of  the  block  by 
foreclosure,  fearing  they  would  lose  all  of  the  land  by 
the  erosion  of  water,  parted  with  it  to  the  village  of 
South  Evanston  for  $1,600.  There  was  a  lake  frontage 
of  eight  hundred  feet.  Special  assessment  was  levied  on 
every  lot  from  the  Ridge  east,  amounting  to  $7,000.  This 
amount  was  spent  on  breakwaters,  grading  the  land,  and 
setting  out  trees  upon  it.  Before  the  end  of  the  century, 
the  ground  had  nearly  doubled  by  accretion.  This  park 
was  secured  for  the  city  through  the  efforts  of  Alexander 
Clark.  Alexander  Clark,  attorney,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
residents  of  South  Evanston,  a  man  public-spirited,  gen- 
erous and  efficient.   It  was  largely  through  his  influence 


EVANSTON  PARKS  405 

that  the  three  villages  were  merged  into  one ;  that  South 
Evanston  secured  its  supply  of  water  from  the  lake,  when 
the  artesian  well  water  proved  unsatisfactory;  that 
cement  sidewalks  were  introduced;  that  Evanston  con- 
nects by  electric  railway  with  Chicago.  In  his  brain 
originated  the  idea  of  a  union  loop  in  Chicago  for  the 
elevated  railway,  all  of  its  legal  phases  being  carried  out 
in  accordance  with  plans  he  had  formed.  These  are  but 
a  few  of  the  things  with  which  he  may  be  credited.  He 
well  deserves  the  honor  bestowed  on  him  in  regard  to  the 
naming  of  Clark  Square. 

Congregational  Park  was  originally  given  to  the  vil- 
lage by  the  University  Trustees,  for  park  purposes  only. 
When  the  Congregational  Church  was  founded,  the 
church  trustees  paid  $600  to  the  village  trustees  for 
enough  ground  for  their  purpose,  whereupon  the  village 
trustees  deeded  the  ground  back  to  the  University  Trus- 
tees, who,  in  turn,  deeded  it  to  the  church  trustees. 

Elliott  Park,  comprising  two  and  a  half  acres,  lies 
between  Hamilton  and  Greenleaf  Streets. 

Fountain  Square,  in  the  center  of  the  city  at  the 
intersection  of  Davis  Street,  Sherman  and  Orrington 
Avenues,  contains  eighty-seven  hundredths  of  an  acre. 

Greg  Park  was  named  in  honor  of  Charles  F.  Grey, 
who  donated  the  land,  one  and  one-half  acres,  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Main  Street  and  the  Eidge. 

Housel  Park  is  the  land  lying  between  the  Chicago 
and  Northwestern  Railway  and  the  Elevated  Railway 
tracks,  bounded  on  the  north  and  south  by  Church  and 
Davis  Streets.  This  park  was  named  for  Benjamin 
Housel,  who  was  Superintendent  of  Streets  for  twenty- 
four    years.     During    his    term    of    office    he    added 


406       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

twenty-two  acres  to  the  Lake  Front  parks  by  means  of 
dumping. 

Mason  Park,  containing  two  and  three-fourths  acres, 
is  bounded  by  Davis  and  Church  Streets,  Florence  and 
Dewey  Avenues,  and  was  donated  by  William  S.  Mason. 

Michigan  Park,  a  piece  of  land  lying  between  Mich- 
igan Avenue — now  Sheridan  Road — and  the  lake,  gained 
its  name  from  its  location.  The  thoroughfare  called 
Michigan  Avenue  extended  from  University  Place  to 
Greenwood  Boulevard.  The  park  contains  about  one  and 
three-quarter  acres. 

Raymond  Park,  one  and  nine-tenths  acres  of  land, 
bounded  by  Chicago  and  Hinman  Avenues,  Grove  and 
Lake  Streets,  perpetuates  the  name  of  the  Reverend 
Miner  Eaymond,  D.D.,  L.L.D.,  pastor  of  the  First  M.  E. 
Church,  Professor  of  Theology  in  Garrett,  with  which 
institution  he  was  connected  for  thirty  years,  and  Presi- 
dent of  the  Village  Board  of  Education.  He  was  called 
"the  greatest  mathematical  teacher  on  God's  earth,"  by 
one  of  his  students  who  was  later  a  lawyer  in  New  York 
City.  The  name  Raymond  Park  was  not  bestowed  on  this 
ground  until  the  City  Council  voted  to  that  effect  in  1901. 
The  only  thoroughfare  in  Evanston  bearing  Dr.  Ray- 
mond 's  name — Raymond  Avenue,  one  block  long,  between 
Hamilton  and  Greenleaf  Streets  nearest  the  lake — had 
been  swallowed  up  by  Sheridan  Road.  At  the  meeting, 
the  name  of  Grant  Goodrich  was  proposed  for  the  name 
of  the  park,  but  he  was  not  a  resident,  whereas  Dr. 
Miner  Raymond  was.  Grant  Goodrich  was  entitled  to  the 
high  honor  on  account  of  his  participation  in  the  found- 
ing of  Northwestern  University.  Dr.  Raymond's  name 
was  proposed  by  Andrew  J.  Brown  and  was  heartily 


EVANSTON  PARKS  407 

endorsed  by  the  members  of  the  council.  Dr.  Miner  Ray- 
mond's  home  was  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Hinman 
Avenue  and  Davis  Street,  where  the  Georgian  Hotel  now 
stands. 

Land  adjoining  the  right  of  way  of  the  St.  Paul 
Railroad  Company,  which  formerly  ran  trains  from  Chi- 
cago to  Evanston,  was  converted  into  two  small  parks, 
each  bearing  the  name  St.  Paul  Park.  One  is  south  of 
Main  Street,  on  the  west  side  of  Chicago  Avenue,  and  the 
other  south  of  Lake  Street,  west  of  Sherman  Avenue. 

Evanston,  a  City  of  Homes,  is  one  great  park  in 
itself,  whose  wide  streets  are  tree-lined,  the  result  of  the 
foresight  of  a  few  early  residents — Josiah  P.  Wil- 
lard,  W.  B.  Kimball,  Alonzo  Burroughs,  John  A.  Pear- 
sons, Dr.  F.  D.  Hemenway  and  others — who  set  out  young 
trees,  in  the  early  days,  which  have  grown  tall  and  strong 
and  add  materially  to  the  grandeur  of  the  City  Beautiful. 


Chaptek  XXV 
EVANSTON  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR 

In  July  the  Ordinance  of  1787,  one  clause  of  which  pro- 
hibited slavery  in  the  Northwest  Territory,  was  passed 
by  congress — two  months  before  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  wTas  framed.  The  clauses  of  this  Ordi- 
nance(1)  were  mainly  supplied  by  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler, 
who  had  studied  successively  law,  theology  and  medicine ; 
was  an  eminent  scientist  and  had  served  as  chaplain  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War.  With  such  a  man  back  of  it, 
we  are  not  surprised  at  the  wisdom  shown  in  its  clauses. 
The  clause  prohibiting  slavery  in  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tory, which  was  then  a  wilderness,  has  been  a  priceless 
heritage  to  the  five  great  states(2)  composing  that  terri- 
tory, especially  in  the  stormy  days  preceding  the  Civil 
War. 

When  the  news  of  the  attack  on  Fort  Sumter 
reached  Evanston  that  April  day  in  1861,  Evanston,  no 
less  than  every  other  city  in  the  United  States,  was 
appalled,  but  its  citizens  felt  that  the  war  would  be  of 
short  duration — three  months  would  see  its  finish.  They 
had  watched  the  storm  brew,  a  storm  whose  original 
cause  dated  its  beginning  nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years  before,  when  in  1619  a  Dutch  man-of-war  brought 
"20  Negars"  to  our  shores  and  sold  them.    It  is  true,  at 


(1)  There  is  no  legal  distinction  between  ordinance,  act  and  statute.  After  the 
ratification  of  the  Constitution  in  1789,  either  of  the  terms,  act  or  statute,  was  used 
in  regard  to  measures  passed  by  congress,  and  the  term  ordinance  was  limited  to 
measures  passed  in  the  city  councils. 

(2)  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,   Michigan  and  Wisconsin. 


EVANSTON  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR  409 

that  time,  traffic  in  slavery  was  not  condemned,  nor  did 
any  serious  trouble  result  from  it  in  the  United  States 
until  the  early  nineteenth  century,  when  the  free  states 
began  to  voice  their  disapproval  of  slave-holding  and  the 
southern  states  retaliated  by  trying  to  secede  from  the 
Union.  In  utter  disregard  of  the  admonition  contained 
in  Washington's  Farewell  Address  in  1796,  when  he  called 
upon  the  people  indignantly  to  "frown  upon  the  first 
dawning  of  every  attempt  to  alienate  any  portion  of  our 
country  from  the  rest,"  seven  southern  states  had  formed 
a  new  government  under  the  title  of  "Confederate  States 
of  America,' '  and  Evanston's  citizens  realized  that  the 
time  had  come  when  they  must  take  up  arms  to  preserve 
the  Union. 

In  1861  Evanston's  population  numbered  less  than 
twelve  hundred,  including  the  students  at  the  University 
and  the  Biblical  Institute,  yet  it  contributed  to  the  cause 
four  general  officers,  twenty-four  other  officers,  fifty-four 
enlisted  men,  besides  the  services  of  several  women  in 
the  management  of  the  Soldiers'  Fairs  held  in  Chicago. 
Two  men,  University  students,  southern-born,  joined  the 
Confederate  army. 

The  morning  after  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter  Bishop 
Simpson  preached  a  rousing  sermon  which  awoke  in  the 
citizens  of  Evanston  a  spirit  of  patriotism  that  could  be 
surpassed  nowhere. 

The  Sunday  following  the  defeat  of  Bull  Eun,  July 
21,  1861,  Julius  White  stood  up  in  his  pew  near  the  altar 
and  made  an  impassioned  appeal  to  the  congregation, 
calling  on  all  the  patriots  to  convene  in  the  church  the 
following  evening  and  declare  what  they  were  going  to  do 
to   save  the  country.     And  the  following  evening  the 


General  Julius  White  General  William  Gamble 


General  John  L.  Beveridge 


Captain  H.  A.  Pearsons  Colonel  James  Mulligan 


EVANSTON  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR  411 

patriots  came  and  showed  their  intentions  by  putting 
their  names  on  the  muster  roll.  Subscriptions  were 
started  for  the  support  of  the  families  of  men  enlisting 
who  were  not  overburdened  with  this  world's  goods.  Dr. 
Evans  put  his  name  down  for  hundreds  of  dollars  and 
others  followed  for  smaller  sums,  many  of  whom  were 
young  women  earning  small  salaries. 

Evanston 's  list  of  men  in  the  war  is  very  incomplete. 
One  who  reached  the  highest  rank  was  General  John 
L.  Beveridge  (later  governor  of  Illinois)  who  raised  a 
company  which  became  Company  F  in  the  Eighth  Illinois 
Cavalry.  He  was  appointed  captain  and  in  1861  became 
major  of  the  regiment.  In  1864  he  was  promoted  to  the 
colonelcy  of  the  Seventeenth  Illinois  Cavalry  and  was 
breveted  Brigadier-General,  February  7, 1865,  for  gallant 
services.  General  Julius  White  opened  a  recruiting  office 
in  Chicago  and  was  at  the  head  of  the  Thirty-seventh 
Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  appointed  Brigadier-General 
on  June  9,  1862,  and  Brevet  Major-General  on  March  13, 
1865.  General  William  Gamble(3)  drilled  the  Eighth  Illi- 
nois Cavalry,  and  made  it  one  of  the  most  effective  of  the 
178  Illinois  regiments.  He  was  appointed  Brigadier- 
General  on  September  25,  1865. 

Other  officers  were  Colonel  H.  M.  Kidder,  Captain 
H.  A.  Pearsons,  Major  Edward  Bussell,  Captain  Joseph 
Clapp,  Captain  Alphonso  C.  Linn,  Captain  Milton  C. 
Springer,  Lieutenant  George  E.  Strobridge,  Corporal 
Thomas  Strobridge,  brother  of  George,  and  Sergeant 
George  W.  Huntoon. 

Although  Evanston  proudly  claims  to  have  had  three 
generals  in  the  Civil  War,  there  was  no  full  general  at 


(3)    The   Evanston  .  Post    of   the    Grand    Army    of    the   "Republic   was    originally 
named   Gamble   Post,    complimenting  General   William   Gamble. 


412        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

that  time,  the  term  being  loosely  used.  Washington  had 
rightly  held  the  title,  but  army  records  tell  us  there  was 
no  other  man  on  whom  the  title  of  general  was  bestowed 
until  U.  S.  Grant  was  made  general  after  the  close  of  the 
Civil  War. 

Among  the  privates  were  Charles  Bragdon,  Charles 
McDaniel,  George  H.  Eeed,  James  A.  Snyder,  0.  C. 
Foster,  E.  E.  Lewis,  Philo  Judson,  J.  D.  Ludlam,  W.  A. 
Spencer,  Charles  P.  Westerfield,  William  E.  Bailey,  A.  E. 
Bailey  (died  1863),  W.  E.  Smith  (killed  in  action  July, 
1863),  Harry  Meacham,  L.  A.  Sinclair  (died  in  Washing- 
ton, 1864),  W.  J.  Kennicott  (died  of  wounds  1863), 
Joseph  E.  Edsall  (died  1863),  Orsevius  Coe,  William 
Mickels,  Chauncey  Parker,  James  Balls,  James  Lemon, 
Harrison  Pratt,  son  of  Mrs.  Eliza  (Gaffield)  Pratt, 
Eighty-ninth  Illinois  (died  in  a  hospital  in  the  south  dur- 
ing the  war),  Willard  Pratt,  a  son  of  Paul  Pratt  (one  of 
the  few  exchanged  from  Libby  Prison ;  died  shortly  after 
coming  home),  Charles  Pratt,  another  son,  Eighth 
Cavalry,  Edward  McSweeney,  Edward  Steele,  Edwin 
Bailey,  George  Hide,  Charles  Wigglesworth,  Dwight  Ban- 
nister, George  Kirby,  A.  Butterfield,  K.  S.  Lewis,  Joseph 
Milner,  Peter  Schutz,  William  Gamble  (same  name  as 
general),  Lyman  K.  Ayrault,  Charles  Baker,  John  C. 
Boggs,  William  C.  Gray,  Melvin  Meigs,  William  P.  Sie- 
bert,  Morton  Culver,  William  E.  Wightman,  Isaac  E. 
Adams,  Joseph  Sears,  and  I.  W.  McCaskey. 

Henry  Leonidas  Boltwood,  ordained  chaplain,  engaged 
in  the  work  of  the  United  States  Christian  Commission, 
"  which  shared  the  hardships  of  the  march,  the  trench, 
the  battlefield,  and  cared  for  both  bodies  and  souls; 
cheered  the  sick,  comforted  the  dying  and  buried  the 


EVANSTON  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR  413 

dead,"  work  similar  to  Eed  Cross  work  of  today.  Chap- 
lain Boltwood  was  present  at  the  last  battle  of  the  war, 
when  Fort  Blakely  in  Mobile  Bay  was  taken  only  a  few 
hours  before  Lee  surrendered  at  Appomatox. 

On  Saturday,  April  13,  1861,  the  day  following  the 
attack  on  Fort  Sumter,  many  of  the  Northwestern  Uni- 
versity students,  finding  that  the  last  train  had  gone,  and 
there  being  no  Sunday  trains  in  those  days,  walked  the 
distance  into  the  city  late  Saturday  night.  They  found 
the  Chicago  streets  filled  with  people,  flags  flying  from 
every  house  and  great  excitement  everywhere.  They 
were  told  there  would  surely  be  enlisting  Monday  morn- 
ing, so  they  boarded  a  freight  train  and  returned  to 
Evanston.  Monday  morning  they  marched  to  the  train, 
to  find  standing  room  only,  the  boys  from  the  country 
being  already  on  board.  President  Lincoln's  first  call  for 
troops  was  made  that  day,  Monday,  April  15,  1861. 

At  several  enlisting  places  the  students  found  plac- 
ards stating  that  no  more  men  were  wanted.  The  same 
thing  met  them  at  the  Military  Battery  in  Chicago,  but 
they  were  let  in  through  a  back  door  quietly  and  told  to 
get  recommendations  from  some  prominent  person.  This 
they  did,  but  on  their  return  they  found  that  the  desired 
number  of  men  had  been  secured  and  the  books  closed. 
This  information  was  received  with  a  howl  of  disappoint- 
ment. Thousands  of  young  men  were  clamoring  to  enlist, 
but  the  Illinois  quota  had  been  filled.  Not  discouraged, 
however,  they  formed  companies  and  commenced  to  drill 
and  to  prepare  for  a  call. 

The  students,  after  seeing  the  fortunate  men  off  to 
Cairo,  began  to  be  impatient  and  sent  word  to  the  mili- 
tary authorities  that  they  would  not  wait  any  longer; 


414        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

accordingly  a  sergeant  was  sent  to  escort  them  to  the 
detachment  to  which  they  had  been  assigned. 

The  first  student  of  Northwestern  University (4)  to 
enlist  was  A.  W.  Gray,  serving  first  with  Battery  B,  Chi- 
cago Artillery  and  later  as  lieutenant  in  Company  G-  of 
the  Fifty-first  Illinois  Volunteers. 

Bunting  could  not  be  manufactured  fast  enough  to 
meet  the  demand  for  flags.  Mrs.  Julia  Atkins  Miller, 
valedictorian  of  the  class  of  1860  of  the  Northwestern 
Female  College,  writes  in  Frances  Willard's  Classic 
Town,  that  Dr.  Charles  Jones  happened  to  remember  an 
old  flag  that  was  stored  in  Chicago,  belonging  to  his 
brother  Wesley.  He  brought  it  to  Evanston  and  Mrs. 
Miller  worked  all  day  repairing  that  torn,  mouse-eaten 
flag.  At  evening  it  floated  over  their  college  building,  the 
first  flag  to  wave  in  Evanston,  to  the  great  joy  of  Pro- 
fessor and  Mrs.  Jones;  and  Northwestern  University 
students  went  wild  with  enthusiasm,  when  they  saw  it. 

The  students  of  Northwestern  University  then  wished 
to  raise  a  flag  over  their  building  to  show  their  patriotism, 
but  no  flag  could  be  procured,  as  the  supply  of  bunting 
had  been  exhausted,  so  the  girls  set  to  work  making  a  flag 
from  calico.  When  the  flag  was  hoisted  to  the  peak  of  the 
flag-staff  the  whole  population  of  the  surrounding  country 
was  present,  and  the  boys  raised  their  right  hands  and 
swore  to  protect  the  honor  of  the  flag  with  their  lives. 

"The  First  Gun  Is  Fired,  May  God  Protect  the 
Right,"  composed  by  George  F.  Eoot  at  this  time,  became 
the  most  popular  song  of  the  day. 

The  army  career  of  John  Henry  Page,  a  southerner 
and  a  former  slave-owner,  was  remarkable  and  his  pro- 


(4)   Dr    A    W.  Gray  was  born  in  Chicago,  December  16,   1839,   and  died  March 
23.   1927. 


EVANSTON  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR  415 

motion  was  rapid.  We  are  indebted  to  him  for  the 
account  of  the  students'  patriotism,  for  he  was  one  of 
those  who  walked  into  Chicago  that  Saturday  night. 

Mr.  Levere's  scrap-book  gives  an  incident  of  Page's 
early  days.  He  was  born  at  New  Castle,  Delaware,  and 
the  members  of  his  family  were  slave-owners.  When  a 
boy  he  had  been  given  a  young  Negro  as  a  birthday  pres- 
ent, who  was  "handsome,  intelligent  and  powerful  of 
limb."  Young  Page  could  knock  the  chip  from  the  shoul- 
der of  any  boy  in  town,  as  his  Negro  boy  did  the  fighting 
for  him.  The  Negro  could  pick  up  and  conceal  between 
his  toes  more  marbles  than  any  darkey  in  town — and  he 
never  bothered  about  anything  less  than  twenty-five  cent 
"alleys."  As  the  boy  belonged  to  Page,  of  course  the 
marbles  went  into  Page's  bag.  One  day  the  two  walked 
down  to  the  wharf  to  meet  a  steamboat  carrying  peaches 
to  Philadelphia.  As  the  boat  pushed  off,  a  hand  reached 
down,  grabbed  Negro  Bill  by  the  collar  and  swung  him  on 
board.  That  was  the  last  young  Page  ever  saw  of  Bill, 
nor  did  the  $800,  which  the  transportation  company  was 
obliged  to  pay  for  him,  lessen  Page's  grief  over  his  loss. 
With  the  loss  of  his  "body-guard"  Page  lost  his  prestige 
among  his  school-mates. 

The  Northwestern  University  College  Alumni  Rec- 
ord  for  1903  says,  concerning  Page's  Civil  War  career: 

"John  Henry  Page,  from  Baltimore,  Md.  Enlisted 
from  freshman  class  25  Aug.  1861,  in  3rd  TJ.  S.  Infantry. 
Promoted  to  2nd  Lieutenant." 

The  Official  Records  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  show 
that,  as  First  Lieutenant,  Page  was  in  command  of  Com- 
pany G-,  3rd  U.  S.  Infantry  at  the  battles  of  Gaines  Mills 
and  Malvern  Hill.    While  still  First  Lieutenant  he  was  in 


416       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

command  of  Company  I  at  the  Second  Battle  of  Bull  Bun, 
at  the  Battle  of  Fredericksburg,  and  in  the  three-days 
Battle  of  Gettysburg.  He  was  in  command  of  his  regi- 
ment while  yet  First  Lieutenant  early  in  1864  and  was 
Captain  and  in  command  of  the  regiment  at  the  close  of 
the  war. 

It  is  a  very  unusual  occurrence  that  a  first  lieutenant 
should  have  command  of  a  regiment,  and  indicates  the 
character  of  the  fighting  in  which  the  regiment  took  part, 
since  all  the  field  officers  and  captains  were  either  killed, 
wounded,  or  otherwise  incapacitated. 

Later  Page  became  Colonel  of  the  Third  U.  S. 
Infantry  and  served  in  the  Spanish-American  War,  lead- 
ing his  regiment  at  Santiago  and  also  in  the  Philippines. 

The  Battle  of  Gettysburg,  July  1,  1863,  was  com- 
menced by  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  the  Evanston  regi- 
ment being  under  command  of  Major  Beveridge.  Major 
Winfield  S.  Gamble,  youngest  of  General  Gamble  's  fifteen 
children,  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Evanston  Historical  Society, 
in  which  he  says,  "  There  is  no  question  of  the  fact  that 
the  Battle  of  Gettysburg,  July  1,  1863,  the  pivotal  battle 
of  the  Eebellion,  was  won  by  the  first  three  and  a  half 
hours  stand  of  General  Gamble's  and  Devin's  brigades 
against  the  overwhelming  forces  of  Heth's  division  [Con- 
federate], while  Meade  was  moving  troops  to  Gettysburg 
and  whipping  chaos  into  battle  formation.  This  stand  of 
nine  thousand  dismounted  cavalry  against  twenty-five 
thousand  confederates  of  Lee's  army  deserves  a  place  in 
history  unequalled  by  any  military  action  in  the  world's 
history  and  the  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry  bore  the  most 
conspicuous  part.  Evanston  can  never  adequately  honor 
its  heroic  veterans,  and  the  military  records  of  John  L. 


EVANSTON  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR  417 

Beveridge,  Majors  Edward  Kussell  and  James  Ludlam, 
Captain  Joseph  Clapp  and  others  deserve  a  high  place 
on  the  roll  of  fame." 

General  William  Gamble  was  born  in  the  North  of 
Ireland.  He  enlisted  in  the  First  United  States  Dragoons, 
was  in  the  Seminole  War  and  in  other  Indian  warfare  on 
the  western  plains.  He  came  to  Evanston  while  he  was  in 
the  service  of  the  government  as  engineer,  stationed  at 
Chicago.  In  1859  he  occupied  the  "Wheeler  house," 
north  of  the  DeCoudries  home  on  Hinman  Avenue,  be- 
tween Clark  Street  and  University  Place,  while  erecting 
another  home  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Hinman  Avenue 
and  Clark  Street. 

In  a  fight  near  Middleburg,  Virginia,  General 
Gamble's  horse  was  shot  under  him  and  he  was  thrown 
headlong.  At  Malvern  Hill  he  received  a  wound  in  the 
breast  that  nearly  cost  him  his  life.  At  one  time  his  regi- 
ment was  given  a  thirty  day  furlough,  but  the  men  had 
hardly  reached  home,  when  they  were  ordered  to  the 
front  again.  General  Gamble  posted  a  notice  that  the  fur- 
lough was  revoked,  and  that  the  regiment  was  ordered  to 
active  service  in  the  field  at  once,  where  it  had  been  con- 
tinuously for  the  last  two  and  a  half  years.  He  stated 
that  it  was  a  high  compliment  to  the  regiment,  showing 
that  it  was  two  and  a  half  times  as  efficient  as  other  regi- 
ments who  were  allowed  full  furlough  and  longer. 

In  1864,  in  Virginia,  a  citizen  riding  a  mule  came  to 
Gamble's  tent  to  make  complaint  that  one  of  his  horses 
had  been  taken  by  one  of  Gamble's  men  and  brought  to 
the  camp.  At  the  proper  times,  Colonel  Gamble  was  quite 
as  ready  to  play  a  joke  on  some  one  as  were  his  men. 
While   the   complainant  held  the  mule's  halter  firmly, 


418        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Colonel  Gamble  was  having  him  describe  the  lost  horse 
very  minutely.  Meanwhile  the  soldiers  were  separating 
the  mule  from  the  halter  and  the  soldier  commissioned  to 
hold  the  halter  would  give  a  jerk  now  and  then,  in  imita- 
tion of  the  mule's  actions.  So  intent  had  the  man  been  on 
presenting  his  claim  that  he  did  not  know  his  mule  had 
been  led  away,  and  great  was  his  surprise  to  find,  when 
the  colonel  gave  him  permission  to  search  the  camp  for 
his  horse,  that  his  mule,  also,  was  missing.  However, 
Colonel  Gamble  sent  him  away  happy,  in  possession  of 
both  the  lost  horse  and  the  mule. 

General  Gamble  died  of  cholera,  December  20,  1866, 
in  Central  America,  and  was  buried  at  Virgin  Bay,  on  the 
shore    of  Lake  Nicaragua. 

Another  outstanding  figure  of  the  war  was  Colonel 
James  Mulligan,  who,  while  not  an  Evanstonian,  was  a 
close  neighbor  and  deserves  mention  here.  He  lived  on 
a  farm  near  Arunah  Hill's  place,  west  of  the  present 
Gross  Point.  James  Mulligan  raised  a  company,  which 
was  called  Mulligan's  Guards.  This  company,  with  other 
companies,  formed  the  Twenty-third  Eegiment  of  Illinois 
Volunteers,  of  which  Mulligan  was  made  colonel,  and 
which  was  known  as  the  " Irish  Brigade." 

Colonel  Mulligan  is  probably  best  remembered  by  his 
gallant  defense  of  Lexington,  Missouri,  where,  on  August 
20,  1861,  with  about  3,000  men,  he  was  surrounded  by 
about  18,000  rebels  under  General  Price  and  forced  to 
surrender.  All  of  his  officers  and  men  were  released  on 
parole,  but  he  was  kept  a  prisoner  for  several  months  and 
finally  exchanged.  In  Chicago  and  elsewhere  Colonel 
Mulligan  was  received  with  enthusiastic  honors. 

At  the  Battle  of  Winchester,  Virginia,  Mulligan  was 


EVANSTON  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR  419 

struck  by  a  bullet  and  mortally  wounded.  Lieutenant 
James  H.  Nugent,  his  brother-in-law,  ran  to  his  aid,  but 
Mulligan,  seeing  the  enemy  advancing  in  overwhelming- 
numbers,  called  out  for  him  to  lay  him  down  and  save  the 
flag.  Nugent  rescued  the  colors  and  returned  to  Mul- 
ligan's side  but  fell  almost  instantly,  mortally  wounded. 
Colonel  Mulligan's  brave  words  inspired  George  F.  Boot 
to  write  the  famous  patriotic  song,  "Lay  Me  Down  and 
Save  the  Flag."  Colonel  Mulligan  died  July  26,  1864, 
forty-eight  hours  after  being  wounded.  After  his  death 
his  widow  received  from  President  Lincoln  Colonel  Mul- 
ligan's commission  of  Brevet  Brigadier-General,  U.  S.  V. 
dated  July  24, "  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  at  the 
battle  of  Winchester. ' '(5)  He  was  buried  in  Calvary  Ceme- 
tery near  the  entrance. 

In  the  third  year  of  the  war,  in  the  early  part  of  1864, 
as  it  was  thought  the  Confederacy  was  fast  reaching  the 
limit  of  its  endurance,  military  authorities  decided  that  a 
quickly  raised  temporary  force  might  be  used  in  guarding 
railroads  and  important  points,  thus  relieving  the  older 
regiments  employed  in  active  service  at  the  front.  The 
term  of  enlistment  was  to  be  one  hundred  days.  Illinois 
agreed  to  furnish  thirteen  regiments  of  such  troops. 
These  regiments  were  called  One  Hundred  Day  Troops  in 
the  Adjutant  General's  report.  The  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-fourth  Eegiment  was  composed  mostly  of  men 
from  Chicago.  Company  A  was  known  as  the  Board  of 
Trade  Company,  as  that  organization  made  some  special 
provisions  for  its  maintenance  and  presented  each  mem- 
ber with  thirty  dollars  by  way  of  bounty.  J.  Seymour 
Currey  enlisted  in  this  company,  this  being  the  second 

(5)    Vol.  I,   Battles   and   Leaders   of  the  Civil  War,   published  by  the  Century 
Company. 


420       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

time  ho  had  entered  the  Civil  War.  The  first  time  he 
entered  as  a  boy  of  sixteen  at  Joliet,  his  enlistment  being 
for  three  months. 

Company  F  was  known  as  the  University  Guards, 
many  of  its  members  being  residents  of  Evanston. 
Alphonso  C.  Linn,  an  instructor  in  Northwestern  Univer- 
sity, was  its  captain.  He  died  in  the  south  within  a  few 
months,  and  Milton  C.  Springer  of  Evanston  (and,  after 
the  war,  of  Wilmette)  succeeded  him.  George  Stro- 
bridge(6)  was  a  lieutenant.  In  the  different  companies  of 
this  regiment  were  many  Evanston  men,  Corporal  Thomas 
Strobridge,  Gamble,  Ayrault,  Baker,  Boggs,  Gray,  Meigs, 
Siebert,  Culver,  Wightman,  Adams,  and  Sears.  The  One 
Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Regiment  was  mustered  in  at 
Camp  Fry,  Chicago,  May  31,  1864. 

There  is  a  very  interesting  bit  of  history  connected 
with  the  lantern  at  the  Gross  Point  Lighthouse.  This  lan- 
tern was  one  of  three  that  the  government  bought  from 
France  before  the  Civil  War,  one  to  be  sent  to  the  Pacific 
coast  and  two  to  be  used  on  the  Florida  coast. 

During  the  second  year  of  the  war,  the  lenses,  which 
were  later  installed  in  the  Gross  Point  Lighthouse,  dis- 
appeared from  their  place  in  a  lighthouse  on  the  Florida 
coast.  In  1862  the  keeper,  himself  a  rebel,  heard  that  the 
rebels  were  going  to  attack  the  lighthouse  and  destroy  the 
lenses  on  a  certain  night.  He  wanted  to  help  the  southern 
cause,  but  he  did  not  want  the  precious  lenses  destroyed, 
so  he  took  them  out  and  buried  them  in  the  sand.  This 
caused  the  loss  of  the  Yankee  ships,  as  he  had  hoped,  and 
helped  the  southern  side.    A  Union  gunboat  came  soon 

(6)  George  Strobridge  married  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Kidder.  His  little  daugh- 
ter's grave  is  in  the  small  Protestant  cemetery  in  Rome,  near  the  grave  of  the  poet, 
John  Keats,  and  near  where  the  heart  of  Shelley  is  buried. 


EVANSTON  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR  421 

afterward  and  began  a  search  for  the  missing  lenses.  The 
keeper  at  first  denied  knowledge  of  their  whereabouts, 
but  finally  confessed  that  he  had  buried  them.  They  were 
dug  up  and  sent  to  Paris  to  be  repaired.  When  they  came 
back,  they  were  installed  in  the  Gross  Point  Lighthouse, 
where  they  have  remained  ever  since. 

Harvey  B.  Hurd  of  Evanston  was  once  measured  for 
a  suit  of  clothes  for  John  Brown,  of  anti-slavery  fame. 
This  happened  a  few  years  before  the  war.  John  Brown 
had  come  to  Chicago,  when  he  was  under  ban  of  the  law, 
a  price  having  been  set  on  his  head  for  having  aided  fugi- 
tive slaves  to  escape.  Harvey  B.  Hurd  looked  him  up 
and  found  him  in  clothes  so  ragged  they  were  unfit  to 
wear.  As  Mr.  Hurd  was  about  John  Brown's  size,  he 
went  to  the  tailor's  and  had  a  suit  of  clothes  made  to  his 
own  measure,  which  was  turned  over  to  Brown. (7) 

During  the  Civil  War  the  government  issued  paper 
money  called  greenbacks,  because  the  backs  of  the  bills 
were  then  first  printed  largely  in  green  ink.  These  green- 
backs in  the  summer  of  1864  were  much  depreciated  in 
value  and  were  worth  but  about  thirty-five  cents  on  the 
dollar  in  gold. 

Fractional  currency,  popularly  called  "shin-plas- 
ters," was  also  issued  in  denominations  of  five,  ten, 
twenty-five  and  fifty  cents,  and  for  years  was  in  general, 
if  not  exclusive,  use.  At  the  Evanston  Historical  Society 
rooms  may  be  seen  some  of  the  shin-plasters.  There  may 
also  be  seen  in  these  rooms  Confederate  money  to  the 
amount  of  $1,500  which  Mr.  W.  C.  Levere  obtained  from 
the  government  a  few  years  ago. 

In  1863  Congress  passed  an  act  for  the  enrollment  of 

(7)    A  half-length  portrait  of  John   Brown  was   donated  to  the  Evanston  His- 
torical Society  by  Mr.  Hurd. 


422       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

all  men  between  the  ages  of  twenty  and  forty-five.  Evans- 
ton  had  a  population  of  a  little  more  than  a  thousand. 
The  men  subject  to  draft  numbered  194,  and  the  draft 
quota  was  eleven  men.  As  Evanston  had  already  fur- 
nished eighty  volunteers,  far  exceeding  its  draft  quota,  no 
draft  measures  had  to  be  taken.  The  total  number 
drafted  in  Cook  County  was  fifty-nine,  and  volunteers 
replaced  these  before  they  were  mustered  in.  Cook 
County  furnished,  through  volunteer  enlistments,  more 
than  22,000  of  the  267,000  that  the  State  of  Illinois  con- 
tributed to  the  Union  armies. 

Before  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  had  been 
issued,  an  Evanston  woman,  Mrs.  Hide,  suggested  that  a 
petition  with  this  in  view,  should  be  started,  and  be 
brought  before  the  president  as  the  voice  of  the  women 
of  the  land.  A  petition  was  prepared  and  copies  of  it  sent 
to  the  religious  papers  of  different  denominations,  with 
requests  for  its  publication.  Nearly  all  the  papers  com- 
mended the  movement,  and  women  gladly  circulated  the 
petitions  and  obtained  signatures.  The  Northwestern 
Christian  Advocate  in  Chicago  reported  that  a  mammoth 
roll,  almost  beyond  the  capacity  of  a  man  to  carry,  was 
being  daily  added  to  the  petition.  Senator  Harlan  was 
engaged  to  present  the  petition  to  the  president,  but 
before  this  could  be  done,  President  Lincoln  had  issued 
the  Emancipation  Proclamation,  September  22,  1862, 
which  gave  the  rebels  one  hundred  days  to  surrender  or 
have  the  proclamation  go  into  effect.  The  Chicago  Tribune 
of  September  23,  1862,  says  this  was  the  grandest  procla- 
mation ever  issued  by  man.  The  hundred  days  ended 
January  1, 1863,  when  the  second  and  final  Emancipation 
Proclamation  was  issued.    January  1,  1863,  was  one  of 


EVANSTON  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR  423 

the  coldest  days  of  a  cold  winter  and  consequently  the 
great  event  was  very  quietly  celebrated. 

The  original  draft  of  the  Emancipation  Proclamation 
was  given  by  Lincoln  to  the  Sanitary  Fair.  President 
Lincoln  told  the  ladies  who  were  conducting  the  Fair  that 
he  had  intended  it  as  a  keepsake  for  his  sons,  but  the 
soldier  boys  were  dearer  to  him  than  anything  else,  so  he 
presented  it  to  the  Fair  for  their  sakes.  Honorable 
Thomas  B.  Brian  bought  it  for  $3,000  and  gave  it,  subse- 
quently, to  the  Soldiers'  Home  in  Chicago.  At  the  time 
of  the  Chicago  fire,  it  was  in  the  rooms  of  the  Chicago 
Historical  Society  and  was  destroyed.  Facsimiles  had 
been  made  of  it,  and  these  were  sold  for  two  dollars  each. 
One  of  these  is  in  the  rooms  of  the  Evanston  Historical 
Society. 

The  ladies  of  Evanston  were  active  in  their  work  for 
the  soldiers  during  the  entire  period  of  the  war.  The 
United  States  Sanitary  Commission  was  formed  for  relief 
work  among  the  soldiers  of  the  Union  army.  Mrs.  A.  H. 
Hoge,  of  Evanston,  was  a  member  of  the  Sanitary  Com- 
mission of  Chicago  and  was  the  originator  of  the  idea  of 
a  Soldiers'  Fair.  Frances  Willard  says  that  Mrs.  Hoge 
shared  with  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Livermore  the  distinction  of 
having  stood  at  the  head  of  all  the  women  of  the  war, 
whose  record  in  caring  for  the  sick  and  the  wounded  is  as 
glorious  as  that  of  our  soldiers  on  the  fields. 

In  order  to  obtain  money  for  the  relief  work  of  the 
Sanitary  Commission,  two  fairs  were  held  in  Chicago,  one 
in  the  fall  of  1863,  called  the  Pioneer  Fair,  and  a  second 
one  in  May,  1865,  to  relieve  the  pressing  need  of  the  fam- 
ilies of  those  who  had  lost  their  lives  at  the  front.  Articles 
on  sale  at  these  fairs  were  generously  donated,  even  the 


424       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

food  for  the  guests.  The  prices  obtained  were  high,  in 
view  of  the  object  for  which  these  funds  were  being  raised. 
On  the  opening  day  came  a  long  line  of  a  hundred  wagons 
from  Waukegan  and  Libertyville,  bearing  a  banner 
inscribed,  ' '  The  gift  of  Lake  County  to  our  brave  boys  in 
the  hospitals  through  the  great  Northwestern  Fair." 
Every  wagon  was  filled  to  its  capacity  with  vegetables 
and  fruit,  all  of  the  largest  and  best  specimens.  The 
Tribune  said  this  was  a  sight  to  bring  tears  to  the  eyes  of 
any  man  but  a  confirmed  copperhead. 

It  was  hoped  to  clear  at  least  $25,000,  but  the  total 
amount  raised  for  the  Commission  at  the  first  fair  far 
exceeded  that  amount.  It  reached  a  total  beyond  the 
wildest  dreams  of  those  in  charge — more  than  $86,000. 

In  1865  the  Second  Sanitary  Fair  was  held  in  Dear- 
born Park  (site  of  present  Public  Library),  where  a  build- 
ing four  hundred  feet  in  length  was  erected  for  the  pur- 
pose. Mrs.  Hoge  and  Mrs.  Livermore  were  again  the 
leaders,  but  this  time  they  made  plans  on  a  more  extensive 
scale,  having  grown  wise  through  their  former  experi- 
ence, and  they  entered  into  the  work  with  confidence  and 
enthusiasm. 

Andrew  Shuman,  editor  of  the  Chicago  Evening 
Journal,  and  a  resident  of  Evanston,  published  a  daily 
paper,  The  Voice  of  the  Fair.  Alfred  L.  Sewell,  a  resi- 
dent of  Evanston,  printed  and  sold  in  enormous  quanti- 
ties, cards  bearing  the  picture  of  "Old  Abe,"(8)  the  war 

(8)  Old  Abe,  a  fine  specimen  of  the  American  bald  eagle,  was  carried  as  a 
regimental  standard  by  the  Eighth  Wisconsin  Infantry  during  three  years  of  the 
Civil  War.  This  regiment  was  called  the  Eagle  Regiment.  The  eagle  was  carried 
at  the  left  of  the  color  bearer,  in  the  center  of  the  regiment,  by  a  man  who  had  no 
other  task  than  that  of  carrying  the  eagle.  It  had  been  captured  by  an  Indian  of 
the  Chippewa  tribe  on  the  Flambeau  river,  before  it  could  fly,  and  sold  to  Daniel 
McCann  for  a  bushel  of  corn,  who,  in  turn,  sold  it  to  a  patriotic  citizen  for  a  com- 
pany of  men  enlisting  for  the  war.  Old  Abe  went  through  the  battles  with  eyes 
glistening,  wings  flapping  and  uttering  screeches  like  war-whoops,  and  came  through 
with   only   a   few   wing   feathers  missing.      General   Price   said  he   would  rather   get 


EVANSTON  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR  425 

eagle,  who  was  present  at  the  Second  Sanitary  Fair,  and 
giving  accounts  of  his  life.  The  sale  of  these  cards  netted 
the  Fair  $16,000. 

The  second  fair  brought  $240,000.  Mrs.  Hoge  's  book, 
entitled  Boys  in  Blue,  gives  good  descriptions  of  the 
scenes  at  the  "soldiers'  fairs."  Copies  of  S  human's 
paper,  The  Voice  of  the  Fair,  are  at  the  Evanston  His- 
torical rooms. 

Joseph  F.  Ward,  a  later  resident  and  one  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  Evanston,  was  in  the  infantry  at  the  Battle 
of  Cedar  Creek.  He  was  the  first  to  recognize  Sheridan, 
as  the  latter  rode  upon  his  charger,  in  his  thirteen  mile 
gallop,  arriving  just  in  time  to  rally  his  disordered  lines 
and  lead  the  men  to  victory. 

When  the  soldier  boys  returned  to  Evanston,  after 
the  close  of  the  war,  a  great  spread  was  made  for  them, 
a  floor  being  laid  over  the  pews  of  the  old  Methodist 
church  and  the  tables  set  on  it.  Edward  S.  Taylor  made 
a  stirring  speech  on  this  occasion. 

While  feeling  was  running  high  in  the  anti-slavery 
cause,  a  young  lady  visiting  in  Evanston  caught  sight  of 
the  flag  flying  over  the  post  office  door — Edwin  A.  Clifford 
was  postmaster  at  the  time.  Running  up  the  steps,  she 
tore  the  flag  from  its  flagstaff,  threw  it  on  the  ground  and 
stamped  it  in  the  dust  beneath  her  heel.  Needless  to  say, 
in  a  place  with  Evanston 's  patriotism,  an  angry  crowd 
soon  gathered  and  she  was  saved  from  rough  treatment 
only  by  the  intervention  of  friends. 

that  bird  than  capture  a  whole  regiment.  At  the  end  of  the  war  Old  Abe  was 
presented  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  the  governor  refused  an  offer  of  $20,000 
for  him  from  the  show  man,  P.  T.  Barnum.  When  the  State  Capitol  building  of 
Wisconsin  burned,  Old  Abe,  who  was  being  kept  there,  inhaled  smoke,  which  caused 
his  death  in  1881.  His  body  was  mounted  and  put  in  the  State  House  among  war 
relics,  where  it  remained  for  twenty-five  years;  a  second  fire  took  all  that  was  left 
of  the  old  war  eagle,  whose  memory  is  a  proud  possession,  not  only  of  his  state,  but 
of  the  whole  nation. 


426       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Chicago  went  wild  with  joy  when  the  news  came  that 
the  war  was  ended.  Chicago's  population  at  that  time 
was  about  178,000.  J.  Seymour  Currey  was  a  prescrip- 
tion clerk  at  the  time,  in  the  drug  store  of  Bliss  and  Sharp, 
144  Lake  Street,  and  it  was  his  turn  to  stay  that  night  to 
take  care  of  emergency  calls.  He  says  he  was  aroused 
out  of  a  sound  sleep  by  loud  cries  and  shots  and  unusual 
noises  and  running  quickly  to  the  door  to  learn  the  cause 
of  the  commotion  he  was  informed  by  passers-by  of  Lee's 
surrender.  A  great  procession  was  formed  with  General 
Sweet,  then  in  command  at  Camp  Douglas,  at  the  head 
with  his  staff  following,  after  which  came  veteran 
reserves,  the  Fenians  in  their  green  jackets,  prominent 
citizens  riding  horseback,  great  numbers  of  colored  peo- 
ple who  were  loudly  cheered,  and  lastly  buggies  and  car- 
riages. The  procession  took  nearly  an  hour  to  pass  a 
certain  point.  This  was  a  time  never  to  be  forgotten  by 
the  residents  of  Chicago. 

A  few  days  later  hearts  were  full  of  sorrow  when  the 
news  of  the  president's  assassination  was  flashed  over  the 
country. 

Conductor  Charles  B.  George,  who  has  given  us 
many  incidents  in  regard  to  early  days  in  his  Forty  Years 
on  the  Railroad,  tells  of  receiving  the  news  of  Lincoln's 
assassination  just  as  his  train  (the  Waukegan  Accommo- 
dation train  on  the  Northwestern  railroad)  reached 
Evanston.  In  the  smoking  car  was  a  jolly  company, 
Judge  Blodgett  and  Mr.  Ferry  being  in  the  crowd.  The 
party  had  just  burst  into  a  hearty  laugh  at  someone's 
joke,  when  Conductor  George  entered  with  the  telegram. 
In  a  moment  there  was  not  a  dry  eye  in  the  car  and  a 
sadder  lot  of  passengers  never  stepped  from  a  train. 


Chapter  XXVI 
GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900 

MIDWAY  between  the  years  1840  and  1900  came  the 
year  which  showed  Evanston  with  almost  phenome- 
nal strides  to  its  credit.  In  1840  the  place  had  been  a 
dismal  swamp,  with  scarcely  a  house  within  the  whole 
vicinity.  In  1870  the  Civil  War  was  a  memory — a  bitter 
one,  although  it  had  gained  its  end.  During  war  days,  the 
women  had  proved  their  ability  to  stand  on  a  par  with  the 
men  in  their  noble  work.  Also,  they  had  edged  their  way 
into  college,  with  a  fine  prospect  of  the  doors  of  North- 
western University  swinging  open  to  them.  Moreover,  it 
was  due  to  the  women's  perseverance  that  the  debts  of 
various  churches  were  either  wiped  out  entirely,  or  being 
gradually  diminished.  The  past  thirty  years  had  seen 
the  needful  things  come  into  existence — churches,  schools 
and  the  proper  village  organization.  The  next  thirty 
years  were  to  see  a  full-fledged  city,  with  a  population  of 
20,344,(1)  its  north  and  south  neighbors  annexed,  and  its 
residents  beginning  to  talk  elevated  service  in  addition  to 
its  fine  train  and  street  car  service.  There  would  be 
pleasure  clubs,  and  societies,  and  the  hard  life  of  the 
pioneer  would  give  way  to  the  new  order  of  city  ways  and 
city  conventions. 

The  small  boy  was  still  picking  up  Indian  darts  and 
having  sham  battles  with  fake  Indians  along  the  lake 
shore. 


(1)    Chicago  Times  Herald  Census  of  July,   1900. 


428       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

The  little  old  graveyard  at  the  corner  of  Eidge 
Avenue  and  Greenleaf  Street  continued  to  receive  its 
dead,  although  Rose  Hill  had  been  opened  in  1859,  and 
one  of  Evanston's  most  valued  citizens  was  its  first  occu- 
pant, before  it  was  formally  dedicated.  This  was  Dr. 
Jacob  Ludlam,  who  came  to  Evanston  in  1854  and  bought 
a  tract  of  land  near  Major  Mulford's  place  on  the  Eidge. 
The  last  burial  in  the  small  graveyard  took  place  in  1872, 
which  made  about  100  burials  there.  Eight  here  might  be 
mentioned  a  queer  custom  of  the  early  days,  one  that  was 
wisely  dispensed  with  later.  The  silver  name  plate  was 
taken  from  the  coffin  after  the  funeral  services,  framed 
and  hung  on  the  wall,  there  to  remain  a  gruesome 
reminder  of  an  unhappy  day. 

In  the  winter  time  the  half -grown  boys  made  ice  sail 
boats,  using  ordinary  ice  skates,  and  borrowing  mast  and 
sail  from  the  old  boats  laid  up  for  the  winter.  On  the 
lake  there  were  large  spaces  of  clear,  smooth  ice  anchored 
between  great  jagged  cakes  of  ice  piled  on  the  first  and 
second  sand  bars,  and  over  the  smooth  ice  the  boats  flew 
with  almost  lightning  speed. 

In  the  summer  the  Goodrich  people  ran  excursion 
steamers  out  from  Chicago  on  special  occasions. 

Captain  Charles  H.  Jennings,  Chief  of  Police  in  Chi- 
cago in  the  seventies,  lived  at  Indian  Boundary  Line  and 
the  lake.  His  family  traded  in  Evanston's  shopping  dis- 
trict, Davis  Street.  One  dark  night,  his  son  and  the  hired 
man  were  making  a  short  cut  across  Calvary  Cemetery, 
after  a  shopping  trip,  when  in  the  middle  of  a  very  inter- 
esting story  the  hired  man  was  telling  he  suddenly  dis- 
appeared. The  following  seconds  seemed  like  hours  to 
young  Jennings  before  he  heard  a  voice  come  faintly  from 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  429 

a  yawning,  newly-dug  grave,  into  which  his  companion 
had  stumbled. 

The  French  House,  now  the  Greenwood  Inn,  dated  its 
beginning  from  the  time  of  the  Chicago  fire.  A  double 
house  was  built  in  1869  on  Hinman  Avenue  at  Greenwood 
Street.  The  north  half  of  the  house  was  occupied  by  the 
Reverend  George  Clement  Noyes.  The  south  half  was 
occupied  by  Orvis  French,  who  owned  a  hardware  store 
on  Lake  Street  in  Chicago.  Frederick  E.  French,  son  of 
Orvis  French,  remembers  hearing  his  father  tell  of  the 
sorrowful  period  immediately  following  the  day  of  the 
great  fire.  For  three  days  vehicles  of  every  description, 
carrying  household  goods,  went  north  on  Chicago  Avenue, 
the  procession  resembling  a  long  funeral  train.  The 
French  family,  like  nearly  every  other  family  in  the  vil- 
lage, hospitably  threw  open  the  doors  of  its  home  to  the 
fire  victims.  Mr.  French's  guests  were  made  comfortable, 
and  having  no  other  shelter  in  sight  they  asked  their  host 
to  allow  them  to  remain.  Mr.  French,  seeing  a  means  of 
livelihood  in  the  arrangement,  consented,  as  his  hardware 
store  had  been  burned.  In  the  early  nineties,  Benjamin 
Bayless  bought  the  property,  and  the  French  House 
became  the  Greenwood  Inn. 

Ogden  House,  the  only  house  left  standing  in  the  fire- 
swept  district,  was  saved  by  wet  blankets  being  put  on  it. 
In  this  work  Andrew  J.  Brown(2)  of  Evanston  helped.  He 
said  the  park  to  the  south  lessened  the  danger  from  the 
fire. 

The  first  book  published  about  the  Chicago  fire  was 
written  by  Alfred  L.  Sewell  of  Evanston,  and  came  out 
one  month  after  the  event. 


(2)    Henry  Brown,  father  of  Andrew,  wrote  History  of  Illinois. 


430       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Among  those  who  came  to  Evanston  shortly  after  the 
fire  were  the  Orrington  Lunts.  When  Orrington  Lunt 
saw  his  home  in  Chicago  threatened  by  the  flames,  he 
made  haste  to  save  the  books  belonging  to  Northwestern 
University,  before  he  gave  a  thought  to  his  own  posses- 
sions. By  the  addition  of  the  Lunts,  Evanston  was  to 
gain  far  more  than  could  be  realized  at  the  time.  There 
was  Horace,  a  graduate  of  Harvard,  who  later  gave  freely 
of  his  services  to  the  library,  and  started  the  Village 
Improvement  Society ;  George,  of  the  class  of  1878,  North- 
western University,  who  with  Will  Evans,  son  of  Dr. 
Evans,  organized  the  Yacht  Club  and  the  Country  Club; 
and  Miss  Nina  (Cornelia),  with  her  love  of  music  and  her 
ability  to  organize  music  clubs  and  give  concerts.  Those 
were  happy  days  for  Miss  Nina,  although  there  were 
happier  ones  yet  to  come,  as  she  says  the  happiest  and 
busiest  years  of  her  life  were  between  the  ages  of  thirty- 
five  and  sixty.  During  this  period  she  organized  the 
Woman's  Guild,  Evanston  Amateur  Concert  Club,  Fort 
Dearborn  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American 
Eevolution,  and  was  Chairman  of  Dormitories  and 
Woman's  Building.  And  of  Orrington  Lunt,  what  can 
one  say  to  adequately  express  what  he  meant  to  the  city? 
He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  Northwestern  University, 
and  vice-president  of  its  Board  of  Trustees ;  one  of  the 
incorporators  of  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  of  which  he 
was  secretary  and  treasurer  for  over  fifty  years,  and 
president  of  its  Executive  Board  after  Dr.  Evans 
resigned.  One  might  go  on  and  on  and  fill  pages  telling 
of  his  work.  His  home,  which  had  been  the  first  stone 
house  built  in  Chicago,  had  been  ruined  by  the  fire.  No 
longer  did  the  place  by  the  lake  have  power  to  hold  him, 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  431 

and  Evanston  was  holding  out  a  gracious  welcome,  which 
he  accepted  in  1874. 

Evanston's  first  fire  engine  was  neither  large  nor  of 
attractive  design — so  states  J.  Seymour  Currey  in  one  of 
his  newspaper  articles.  The  small  hand  engine  consisted 
of  three  parts,  first,  running  gear  of  four  small  cast-iron 
wheels,  eighteen  inches  in  diameter,  a  draw-bar  or  tongue 
to  pull  by  hand,  and  a  bright  red  tank  mounted  on  the 
running  gear,  three  feet  by  six  or  eight  feet  long  and  two 
feet  deep.  Men  worked  the  handles  of  the  force  pump  on 
either  side  of  the  top  of  the  tank.  Hose  about  twice  the 
size  of  ordinary  garden  hose  protruded  through  the  top. 
At  one  time  fire  wiped  out  the  entire  business  center  on 
the  north  side  of  Davis  Street.  The  engine  was  in  use  the 
entire  night,  and  the  whole  town  looked  on.  W.  S.  Bailey 
was  the  first  fire  marshal.  William  C.  Pocklington,  who 
came  to  Evanston  in  1875,  was  the  city's  first  fire  laddie. 
One  of  the  leather  buckets  belonging  to  the  first  volunteer 
fire  department  is  at  the  Evanston  Historical  Society 
rooms. 

E.  S.  Taylor  was  a  great  fire  fan.  He  urged  the 
organizing  of  a  volunteer  fire  department,  and  ' l  ran  with 
the  boys ' '  after  it  was  started.  On  one  occasion,  when  the 
Babcock  extinguisher  was  frozen,  Mr.  Taylor  ran  up  the 
ladder  with  the  hose  nozzle  in  his  pocket,  that  his  hands 
might  be  free  to  use  in  climbing.  Some  one  turned  on  the 
water  before  he  was  ready,  and  in  an  instant  he  was 
thoroughly  drenched  from  top  to  toe.  Besides  this,  a  fine 
sealskin  cap  he  was  wearing  was  scorched  by  the 
flames. 

Many  interesting  anecdotes  might  be  told  of  Mr. 
Taylor.    Before  he  gave  up  the  practice  of  law  to  go  into 


432       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

politics,  one  of  his  most  interesting  cases  had  its  climax  in 
Evanston.  There  had  been  a  series  of  burglaries  in  Chi- 
cago that  baffled  the  police.  The  burglar  always  left  a 
card  in  the  mirror  of  one  of  the  rooms,  on  which  was 
written,  "With  the  compliments  of  Handy  Andy,"  and 
Handy  Andy  always  managed  to  elude  the  police.  He 
was  a  distinguished  looking  man,  and  carried  himself 
well.  Dressed  in  evening  clothes,  he  would  place  himself 
in  the  foyer  of  one  of  Chicago's  finest  theatres,  there  to 
watch  for  the  most  diamond-bedecked  lady.  With  a  few 
artfully  put  questions,  he  would  obtain  her  name  from  her 
coachman,  and  before  she  had  reached  home  later  in  the 
evening,  he  would  be  carefully  hidden  in  one  of  the  rooms, 
and  when  he  left,  several  thousand  dollars  worth  of 
jewelry  would  be  in  his  possession.  He  was  finally  landed 
in  jail  through  the  betrayal  of  an  assistant,  after  the  rob- 
bery of  Mrs.  Kate  Daggett's  jewels.  For  several  years 
he  refused  to  tell  where  Mrs.  Daggett's  jewels  were  hid- 
den, but  his  health  beginning  to  fail,  he  sent  for  Mr. 
Taylor  and  offered  to  give  the  information  if  Mr.  Taylor 
would  secure  his  pardon.  John  L.  Beveridge  was  gov- 
ernor at  the  time.  Governor  Beveridge  at  first  did  not 
look  favorably  on  the  proposition,  but  when  convinced 
that  the  prisoner's  life  was  threatened  by  disease,  and 
assured  of  his  reform,  he  relented.  The  small  negro  boy, 
to  whom  Handy  Andy  had  entrusted  the  box  of  jewels, 
refused  to  give  it  up  to  anyone  but  Handy  Andy,  and 
E.  S.  Taylor  had  to  get  permission  from  the  governor  to 
take  Handy  Andy  to  East  St.  Louis  to  secure  the  box  of 
jewels.  The  boy  recognized  the  prisoner  and  immediately 
led  the  two  men  into  his  back  yard,  where  he  dug  up  the 
box  from  a  place  near  the  base  of  a  tree.    The  prisoner 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  433 

was  then  returned  to  jail  to  await  the  governor's  pardon. 
Not  long  after  this,  Mr.  Taylor  was  entertaining  guests 
at  dinner,  when  the  door-bell  rang  and  Mr.  Taylor  ushered 
in  a  soberly  dressed  man,  whom  he  introduced  as  one 
who  could  give  much  information  on  the  methods  of 
thieves.  The  identity  of  the  newcomer  soon  became 
known,  and  an  interesting  hour  of  conversation  followed. 
Handy  Andy  survived  his  pardon  but  a  short  time,  but 
during  that  time  he  lived  an  honest  life.  It  is  claimed  he 
was  a  member  of  a  fine  family  in  Chicago. 

A  Dowie  riot  took  place  in  1870  in  Fountain  Square. 
The  followers  of  Dowie(3)  began  to  hold  meetings  in 
Fountain  Square,  to  which  Evanston  citizens  objected. 
One  night  the  Dowieites  were  ordered  to  disperse.  Not 
obeying,  they  soon  found  the  fire  hose  turned  on  them. 
The  men  immediately  placed  the  women  together  and 
locking  arms  formed  a  human  fence  around  them.  The 
greater  the  deluge,  the  louder  the  fanatics  sang!  The 
meeting  was  finally  broken  up  by  main  force  and  the  par- 
ticipants were  marched  over  to  the  police  station  to  await 
trial. 

In  the  early  days  fishing  in  the  lake  was  a  worthwhile 
pastime,  and  one  that  brought  results.  White  fish,  yellow 
perch  and  trout  that  fed  on  small  fish  were  plentiful,  and 
larger  fish  were  caught  occasionally.  In  1872  Captain 
Larson  caught  a  sturgeon  that  weighed  165  pounds. 

On  Saturday  afternoons  in  summer  Lyman  Gage, 
later  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  in  President  McKinley's 
cabinet,  Lloyd  Gage,  Frank  Van  Buren  and  E.  S.  Taylor, 
all  Evanston  men,  would  walk  out  from  Chicago  to  play 
ball  on  the  rough,  unbroken  ground  that  later  became 

(3)    John  Alexander  Dowie  was  the  founder  of  Zion  City  lace-making  industry, 
and  the  former  head  of  the  Zionites.     He  was  born  in  Scotland. 
28 


434       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Eaymond  Park.    It  was  a  long  walk,  but  the  train  arrived 
too  late  to  allow  sufficient  time  for  a  good  game. 

In  1873  the  Gross  Point  lighthouse  tower  was  erected 
by  the  government.  The  contractor  was  W.  F.  Bushnell, 
a  resident  of  Eogers  Park  at  the  time,  and  later  of  Evans- 


Gross  Point  Lighthouse 


ton.  The  tower,(4)  ninety  feet  in  height,  stands  on  a  bluff 
that  has  an  eminence  of  twenty-five  feet.  It  is  constructed 
entirely  of  brick,  steel  and  glass,  no  wood  being  employed,. 


laid  on  the 


4)    In  1914   a  coating  of  concrete  three  and   one-half  i 
n  the  wall  of  the  tower,  making  it  appear  bulkier  than 


-half  inches  in  thickness  "was; 
in  former  years. 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900 


435 


and  rests  on  a  circular  foundation  of  stone  masonry, 
twenty-five  feet  in  diameter.  At  the  base  of  the  lantern, 
the  diameter  of  the  tower  is  fifteen  feet.  At  this  place  the 
tower  is  surrounded  by  a  balcony.  The  lantern  is  a  Fres- 
nel  lantern,   one   of   the   three   the   government  bought 


Fresnel  Lantern  in  Gross  Point  Lighthouse 
Keeper  0.  H.  Knudsen 


before  the  Civil  War  at  a  cost  of  $10,000  each.  It  is 
reached  by  a  spiral  staircase  within  the  tower  and  its 
prisms  are  so  arranged  that  the  rays  sent  out  in  a  hori- 
zontal direction  waste  none  of  the  light.     The  lantern  is 

29 


436        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

seven  feet  in  height,  octagonal  in  shape,  with  prisms  and 
lenses  in  each  of  the  panels.  A  clear  white  light  is  in  the 
center  which  remains  stationary,  while  a  frame  on  the 
outside,  containing  two  panels  of  red  glass,  revolves 
around  it  by  means  of  clock  work,  which  causes  the  red 
and  white  flashes.  A  sixty-pound  ball,  suspended  from 
the  center  of  the  tower  and  wound  up  by  hand  power, 
forms  the  clock  work,  but  soon  electricity  will  be  used  as 
the  motive  power.  During  the  revolutions,  the  light  shows 


Fog  Whistle 

white  ninety-six  seconds,  partial  eclipse  thirty-nine  sec- 
onds, red  flashes  six  seconds,  partial  eclipse  thirty-nine 
seconds,  repeating  in  the  same  order.  The  light  is  visible 
nineteen  miles  from  shore.  It  was  first  shown  in  March, 
1874.  When  the  light  is  obscured  by  a  heavy  fog,  the  big 
fog  horn  warning  is  sounded  automatically,  the  blasts 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  437 

lasting  five  seconds  each,  with  alternate  intervals  of 
twenty  and  forty  seconds. 

It  was  no  less  a  hardship  in  the  seventies  for  the 
students  to  forego  Christmas  at  home  than  it  is  today. 
More  than  once  during  the  holidays,  the  dormitory  win- 
dows of  the  Evanston  College  for  Ladies  were  quietly 
opened,  and  stockings  attached  to  long  cords  were  let 
down  the  high  sides  of  the  building  to  eagerly  waiting 
Northwestern  students,  who  filled  them  to  overflowing 
with  candy  and  cakes,  to  say  nothing  of  hastily  penciled 
notes,  and  then  watched  the  bulging  stockings  make  a  safe 
return.  Such  adventures  helped  many  a  homesick  youth 
and  maid  through  a  dull  Christmas  season. 

On  Chicago  Avenue,  a  few  doors  north  of  Davis 
Street,  a  little  house  held  a  typical  village  store.  Here 
the  charming  young  women  from  the  Fern  Sem  often  met 
the  dashing  beaux  from  Northwestern  University, 
although  the  store  was  forbidden  ground  to  the  young 
ladies.  Many  times  the  good-natured  storekeeper  hur- 
ried the  girls  back  of  the  counter  and  hid  them,  while  he 
politely  waited  on  one  of  their  teachers  who  happened  in,, 
thus  preventing  an  unpleasant  meeting. 

Evanston's  land  values  increased  amazingly  in  a  com- 
paratively short  time.  The  land  Carney  bought  in  1840 
from  the  government  at  $1.25  per  acre,  he  sold  to  Andrew 
J.  Brown  and  Harvey  Hurd  in  1854,  fourteen  years  later, 
for  $13,000.  It  was  then  divided  into  a  subdivision  and 
its  best  lots  sold  for  $350  each.  This  land  lay  between 
Church  and  Dempster  Streets  and  Chicago  and  Asbury 
Avenues. 

The  price  of  a  lot,  70  by  215  feet,  at  the  southwest  cor- 
ner of  Davis  Street  and  Maple  Avenue  almost  doubled 


438        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

itself  in  the  first  sale,  and  more  than  tripled  itself  in  each 
of  the  next  two  sales.  In  1855  it  brought  $350 ;  in  1865, 
$600 ;  in  1870,  $2,000 ;  in  1889,  $7,000.  In  less  than  thirty- 
five  years  there  was  an  increase  in  price  of  $6,650. 

Previous  to  1870  land  could  be  purchased  at  a  very 
low  price.  In  1856  John  Beck  bought  four  lots  on  or  near 
the  site  of  the  Davis  Street  L  Station  for  $100  each.  In 
1857  the  site  of  the  Patten  home  sold  for  $52  an  acre. 
In  1864  the  corner  lot  at  Chicago  Avenue  and  Davis  Street 
brought  $65. 

The  following  values  were  given  on  various  pieces 
of  property  in  Chamberlain's  Chicago  and  Its  Suburbs, 
published  in  1874.  General  Julius  A.  White's  home  at 
1028  Judson  Avenue  was  worth  $20,000;  the  Reverend 
George  Noyes'  home  at  Judson  Avenue  and  Greenleaf 
Street,  $10,000 ;  A.  L.  Winne  home  at  the  corner  of  Hin- 
man  Avenue  and  Greenleaf  Street,  $12,000 ;  Elijah  War- 
ren home  on  Chicago  Avenue,  $15,000 ;  J.  F.  Keeney  home 
on  Wheeler  (Michigan)  Avenue,  $13,000;  S.  Goodenow 
home  on  the  Ridge,  $45,000.  Chamberlain  says  land  near 
the  railroad  on  Chicago  Avenue  commanded  a  price  of 
$50  per  front  foot,  selling  rapidly  at  that  price.  Ridge  lots 
sold  at  $40  per  foot  and  upward.  The  following,  quoted 
from  his  book,  is  interesting:  "The  frame  depot  already 
built  for  the  Northwestern  railroad  (an  impecunious  cor- 
poration which  cannot  afford  to  build  its  own  depots)  is 
being  replaced  by  a  brick  one,  with  a  capacious  side  track, 
also  donated  to  the  company  by  private  enterprises. ' ' 

E.  S.  Taylor  bought  a  lot  with  a  three-room  house  on 
it  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Chicago  Avenue  and  Grove 
Street,  in  1870,  for  $300. 

Mr.  White's  home  at  the  Ridge  and  Church  Street, 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  439 

where  Mr.  Lincoln  visited  him,  was  cut  in  two  in  1872  and 
one  part  moved  to  No.  1227  Elmwood  Avenue  and  the 
other  part  to  a  lot  just  east  of  this  location,  facing  Sher- 
man Avenue.  Mr.  White's  later  home,  at  the  corner  of 
Davis  Street  and  Chicago  Avenue  was  moved  to  1028 
Judson  Avenue,  and  a  skating  rink  was  built  on  the  lot 
vacated.  Mr.  C.  T.  Bartlett  owned  the  rink  at  the  time 
when  the  roller  skating  craze  was  at  its  height.  The 
building  stood  idle  for  ten  years  after  the  craze  died  out 
and  was  finally  destroyed  by  fire. 

Many  of  the  houses  constructed  in  the  early  days  had 
cupolas,  which  were  plastered  and  finished  off  like  minia- 
ture rooms. 

The  Hamline  house,  1742  Judson  Avenue,  contains 
twenty  different  kinds  of  wood  in  its  interior. 

In  the  late  eighties  came  the  Queen  Anne  style  of 
architecture,  with  dormer  windows,  bay  windows,  balus- 
trades and  turrets,  making  busy  days  for  the  planing  mill 
and  jig  saw.  For  a  number  of  years  Ben  Peeney's  saw 
and  planing  mill  hummed  its  merry  song  at  the  corner  of 
Church  Street  and  Benson  Avenue.  It  is  said  of  Mr. 
Peeney  that  he  was  an  able  and  industrious  man,  who  did 
most  of  his  work  on  credit,  not  keeping  any  accounts,  but 
relying  on  his  customers  to  make  out  their  own  bills.  His 
faith  in  his  fellow-men  oftentimes  spelled  financial  losses 
to  him. 

The  first  Evanston  directory,  1879  and  1880,  embraced 
the  North  Ward,  Evanston  and  South  Evanston,  and  in 
this,  one  notes  that  Joseph  Hobbs  was  in  the  decorating 
business;  D.  P.  Bowdish  was  the  village  blacksmith; 
James  Wigginton,  contracting  mason;  Charles  F.  Grey, 
Village  Treasurer ;  J.  J.  Parkhurst,  Village  Trustee.    In 


440       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

this  early  directory  Thomas  C.  Hoag  advertises  on  the 
first  page  that  he  is  Notary  Public  and  Fire  Insurance 
Agent,  and  on  the  second  page  that  he  is  Family  Grocer. 
(Mr.  Hoag  started  a  bank  in  his  grocery.)  M.  F.  Haskins 
kept  a  department  store  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Davis 
Street  and  Sherman  Avenue.  Mr.  Haskins '  store  in  time 
became  The  Enterprise,  and  later  it  was  bought  by  W.  S. 
Lord,  who  moved  it  to  the  sharp  corner  where  Orrington 
and  Sherman  Avenues  meet.  He  afterwards  moved  it  to 
the  northeast  corner  of  Davis  Street  and  Sherman  Ave- 
nue. The  latter  place — the  present  site  of  the  State  Bank 
and  Trust  Company  building — is  of  historic  interest. 
This  corner  held  the  first  store  in  Evanston,  James  B. 
Colvin's,  in  1854.  The  brick  building  erected  on  this  cor- 
ner was  built  in  1873  by  Charles  T.  Bartlett  for  H.  G. 
Powers.  Merrill  Ladd's  bank,  the  first  bank  in  Evanston, 
was  moved  into  the  building  about  January  1,  1874,  and 
remained  until  its  failure.  The  drug  store  of  William  C. 
Garwood,  who  was  familiarly  known  as  Deacon  Garwood, 
was  moved  from  east  of  this  location  into  the  corner  store 
of  the  building  in  1833.  Mr.  Garwood  paid  a  rental  of  $65 
per  month.  He  said  the  profits  from  the  sodas,  which  sold 
at  five  cents  a  glass,  paid  for  all  the  drugs  sold  in  the 
store.  He  fitted  up  an  electric  bell  over  the  edge  of  the 
sidewalk,  in  front  of  his  door,  so  that  anyone  driving  up 
could  signal  the  clerks  and  he  served  with  soda  in  the 
shade  of  the  big  tree,  in  front  of  the  building,  without 
getting  out  of  his  carriage.  W.  J.  Hamilton,  later  Evans- 
ton's  postmaster,  was  prescription  clerk  at  Garwood's 
store.  In  1894  Roscoe  L.  Wickes  bought  out  Garwood. 
The  middle  store  in  the  brick  building  was  occupied 
by  George  W.  Muir's  book  store.    Later  Henry  Buhman 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  441 

had  his  barber  shop  in  this  store,  and  still  later,  it  held 
William  0 'Flaherty's  restaurant, — "O's." 

The  east  room  of  the  building  was  used  by  H.  M. 
Angle,  who  sold  sporting  goods.  His  son  Harry  rode  the 
first  high  wheeled  bicycle  in  Evanston. 

At  the  corner  of  Davis  Street  and  Chicago  Avenue, 
where  Colwell's  Drug  store  was  located  later,  Erwin 
Ridgway  tried  to  start  a  restaurant.  Erwin  Ridgway  was 
later  owner  of  Everybody's  Magazine. 

The  directory  of  1883  shows  William  H.  Bartlett  did 
practical  horse  shoeing;  Powers  and  Schwall  were  in  the 
livery  business ;  Bailey  and  Company  sold  fresh  and  salt 
meats  at  520  Davis  Street ;  George  Kearney  was  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  Notary  Public  and  Insurance  Agent,  at  601 
Davis  Street ;  Samuel  Harrison  had  his  place  of  business 
at  604  Davis  Street.  His  illustrations  showing  cattle,  pigs 
and  sheep  tell  that  he  carried  fresh  meats. 

Thomas  E.  Connor,  born  in  Evanston  in  1857,  began 
work  as  a  clerk  in  the  grocery  of  T.  C.  Hoag.  Later  he 
went  into  the  hardware  business  with  his  brother  at  618 
Davis  Street,  finally  establishing  his  own  store  in  1895. 
(No.  618  was  the  old  number.) 

Two  Evanston  men  were  charter  members  of  the 
Chicago  Bar  Association  organized  in  1874,  William  H. 
Holden  and  James  S.  Murray,  the  latter  a  resident  of 
Evanston  for  sixty-seven  years.  Edwin  Lee  Brown  paid 
Murray  a  high  tribute,  when  he  mentioned  in  his  will  that 
he  desired  his  executors,  in  case  legal  advice  was  neces- 
sary in  the  settlement  of  his  estate,  to  ' '  counsel  only  with 
my  friend  (that  rara  avis,  an  honest  lawyer)  James  S. 
Murray. ' ' 

The  early  postmasters  were  as  follows :     Edwin  A. 


442        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 


Clifford,  who  was  appointed  April  29,  1865,  and  con- 
tinned  in  service  until  March  16,  1877 ;  he  was  succeeded 
by  Orlando  H.  Merwin ;  John  A.  Childs  was  appointed  in 
1885 ;  George  W.  Hess  received  the  appointment  to  office 
October  18,  1886,  and  Free  Delivery  was  begun  during 
his  term.  John  A.  Childs  succeeded  Hess  September  16, 
1889.  David  P.  0  'Leary  was  appointed  February  1, 1894, 
when  there  was  a  political  change  in  administration. 
Charles  Raymond  was  0 'Leary 's  successor,  November 
30, 1896.    On  May  10,  1897,  John  A.  Childs  was  appointed 


John  A.  Childs 


Rebecca  Roland  Childs 


a  third  time  and  served  until  1914,  which  made  twenty- 
three  years  that  he  served  as  postmaster,  a  longer  time 
than  any  other  postmaster  in  the  United  States  had 
served.  The  post  office  was  moved  from  Chicago  Avenue 
near  Davis  Street  in  1874  to  617  Davis  Street,  where  it 
remained  many  years.  In  1889  it  was  moved  to  810  Davis 
Street,  remaining  there  until  it  was  moved  to  the  govern- 
ment building  in  1906. 

S.  D.  Childs,  the  father  of  John  A.  Childs,  came  to 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  443 

Chicago  in  1837,  and  was  the  first  engraver  in  that  city. 
He  came  to  Evanston  in  1868,  but  returned  to  Chicago 
in  1870,  where  he  remained  a  couple  of  years,  then  came 
back  to  Evanston.  John  A.  Childs  married  Rebecca 
Roland, (5)  the  first  woman  graduate  of  Northwestern 
University. 

November  17, 1885,  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation^ was  organized  in  Evanston,  with  M.  P.  Aiken, 
president,  in  the  Rink  Building,  at  the  corner  of  Davis 
Street  and  Chicago  Avenue. 

The  idea  of  Saturday  half -holidays  originated  with 
Frederick  E.  French,  whose  employment  with  John  V. 
Farwell  Company  covered  a  period  of  nearly  fifty  years, 
dating  from  1879.  For  many  years  he  was  one  of  the 
officials,  as  well  as  one  of  the  directors  of  the  company. 
One  day  in  March,  1887,  Mr.  French  spoke  to  Mr.  Far- 
well  in  regard  to  giving  the  employes  a  Saturday  half- 
holiday.  Mr.  Farwell  discouraged  him  in  the  idea,  saying 
that  he  thought  the  other  merchants  would  not  sign  a 
petition  to  that  effect.  However,  Mr.  Farwell  agreed  to 
sign  his  name  to  the  petition,  and  placed  his  signature 
on  the  second  line,  leaving  the  first  line  vacant  for 
Marshall  Field's  name.  After  procuring  Mr.  Farwell 's 
signature,  Mr.  French  placed  the  petition  in  his  desk,  where 
it  lay  until  an  extremely  hot  day  in  June,  when  Mr.  Far- 
well  asked  him  how  he  came  out  on  it.  As  the  tempera- 
ture had  reached  95,  with  prospects  of  soaring  yet 
higher,  Mr.  French  decided  that  the  psychological  time 


(5)  Roland  Hall,  an  infirmary  for  girl  students,  was  named  in  honor  of  Rebecca 
Roland  Childs  about  1920,  when  it  was  moved  into  its  present  quarters  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  Orrington  Avenue  and  Clark  Street. 

(6)  This  association  was  originated  in  London  by  Sir  George  Williams,  in 
1844.  The  first  association  in  North  America  was  organized  in  1851,  and  the  first 
International  Convention  was  held  in  Buffalo,  June  7,  1854.  In  1910  of  the  8,000 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  organizations  in  the  world,   2,000  were  in  North  America. 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  445 

had  arrived  to  venture  forth  with  the  petition.  In  a  few 
hours,  Mr.  French  laid  the  petition  before  Mr.  Farwell 
with  every  merchant's  name  affixed  that  he  had  desired, 
and  Saturday  half-holidays  became  an  established  fact. 

The  Evanston  Woman's  Club  began  with  a  small 
group  of  women  whom  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Boynton  Harbert 
invited  to  her  home  early  in  the  year  of  1889.  In  March, 
1889,  the  Woman's  Club  of  Evanston  was  formed  with 
Mrs.  Harbert,  President,  and  Mrs.  Thaddeus  P.  Stan- 
wood,  Secretary.  In  1890,  the  club's  constitution  was 
framed  and  regular  officers  were  elected.  In  March, 
1898,  the  club  was  incorporated  according  to  the  laws 
of  the  State  of  Illinois.  The  meeting  place  of  the  club 
continued  to  be  under  Mrs.  Harbert 's  hospitable  roof 
until  1894,  when  it  accepted  the  offer  of  the  attractive 
hall  of  the  Evanston  Boat  Club,  which  it  occupied  for 
two  seasons.  The  Country  Club  rooms  were  used  for 
the  next  two  seasons,  after  which  time  the  members  of 
the  Woman's  Club  occupied  their  own  suite  of  rooms  in 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  building,  remain- 
ing in  this  place  until  their  own  splendid  building  on 
Chicago  Avenue  and  Church  Street  was  erected  several 
years  later.  In  1900  the  membership  numbered  over  three 
hundred.  Mrs.  Harbert  served  as  president  for  eight 
years.  Mrs.  T.  P.  Stanwood  was  then  elected  to  the 
office.  She  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Richard  H.  Wyman, 
who  served  two  years.  Mrs.  H.  H.  Kingsley,  a  charter 
member,  followed  Mrs.  Wyman  in  office  and  served  until 
1902. 

Several  departments  developed  out  of  the  various 
activities  of  the  members  to  further  the  objects  of  the 
club.    Among  these  were  Art  and  Literature  Department, 


446        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Child  and  Home  Department,  Press  Department,  a  French 
Study  Class  and  a  class  in  German.  Perhaps  the  greatest 
outside  efforts  of  the  club  were  in  the  interests  of  the 
Evanston  Emergency  Hospital  and  the  Northwestern 
University  settlement. 

Mrs.  C.  0.  Boring,  formerly  Miss  Grace  W.  Jones, 
a  teacher  in  the  Noyes  Street  School,  organized  the  first 
Mothers'  Club  in  America  at  this  school  in  1897.  From 
this  developed  the  present  day  Parent-Teachers '  Asso- 
ciations. 

The  Evanston  Hospital  Association  grew  out  of  a 
meeting  which  the  Evanston  Benevolent  Association — 
originated  by  Mrs.  William  Blanchard — held  at  the 
Avenue  House  November  17,  1891,  where  it  was  decided 
that  "an  emergency  hospital  is  a  necessity  for  the  village 
of  Evanston."  December  4,  1891,  the  Evanston  Emer- 
gency Hospital  was  organized.  The  organization  began 
with  sixty-three  directors,  which  were  soon  reduced  to 
thirty.  The  hospital  was  opened  for  service  March  27, 
1893,  in  an  eight-room  cottage  at  No.  806  Emerson  Street, 
with  Miss  Emily  E.  Robinson  as  matron.  The  medical 
staff  was  composed  of  the  following  physicians :  Isaac 
Poole,  E.  H.  Webster,  W.  A.  Phillips,  Sarah  A.  Brayton, 
H.  B.  Hemenway,  A.  B.  Clayton,  M.  C.  Bragdon,  0.  H. 
Mann,  E.  P.  Clapp,  Mary  F.  McCrillis,  I.  V.  Stevens  and 
S.  F.  Verbeck.  Patients,  both  free  and  paid,  were 
accepted. 

In  1894  the  little  hospital  needed  money,  but  its 
friends  were  legion.  At  one  time  these  friends  gave  an 
entertainment  in  Bailey's  Opera  House  (a  building  on 
the  site  of  Rosenberg's  store),  which  netted  them  $319 
for  the  hospital.    An  open-air  performance  of  the  opera, 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900 


447 


The  Mikado,  in  a  vacant  lot  at  the  corner  of  Davis 
Street  and  Judson  Avenue,  by  home  talent,  brought 
$2,000. 

The  new  century  approached  with  great  promise  for 
the  young  hospital,  whose  officers  were  striving  for  an 
institution  that  would  compare  favorably  with  any  in  the 
world.  February  11,  1895,  the  name  was  changed  from 
Evanston  Emergency  Hospital  to  Evanston  Hospital 
Association.    May  2,  1895,  the  purchase  of  280  feet  on 


Bailey's  Opera  House 

Eidge  Avenue  for  a  hospital  building  was  authorized.  In 
1897  a  building  was  erected  on  the  lot,  capable  of  shel- 
tering eighteen  patients,  and  was  opened  for  the  recep- 
tion of  patients  February  8,  1898. 

Subscriptions  in  1898  for  four  years,  amounted  to 
$25,418.  In  1899  the  city  of  Evanston  made  an  appro- 
priation of  $300  to  the  hospital  without  specified  obliga- 
tions, and  afterward  continued  to  appropriate  the  same 


448       EYANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

amount  yearly.  A  thank  offering  gift  of  an  ambulance 
came  from  Mrs.  John  M.  Ewen.  In  1900  came  a  great 
gift  from  Mrs.  Herman  D.  Cable,  who  donated  $25,000 
for  a  needed  addition,  to  be  known  as  the  Herman  D. 
Cable  Memorial  Building,  and  gave  an  additional  $25,000 
to  endow  a  children's  ward  that  year.  The  outlook  was 
good.  The  hospital  had  a  fine  board  of  directors,  an 
efficient  staff,  staunch  friends  and  a  credit  balance  in 
the  bank. 

A  co-operative  housekeeping  plan  was  started  in  1891 
by  the  Evanston  Co-operative  Household  Association, 
Inc.,  with  a  capital  of  $5,000,  and  H.  L.  Grau  was  man- 
ager. The  headquarters  were  at  711  Davis  Street  (old 
number) .  The  weekly  expenses  far  exceeded  the  income, 
and  after  a  trial  of  six  weeks,  the  association  failed.  A 
receiver  was  appointed,  and  the  utensils  and  food  were 
sold  at  auction. 

About  the  year  1891  the  first  telephone  station  was 
erected  in  Evanston.  This  was  at  612  Davis  Street,  with 
C.  E.  Wise  as  manager.  In  1896  two  booths  were  installed, 
two  cabinet  sets  of  telephones  and  two  long-distance 
transmitters — a  regular  telephone  exchange — the  best 
known  then.  In  the  nineties,  it  was  mostly  the  business 
houses  that  had  telephone  service.  In  1898  there  were 
554  telephones  in  Evanston,  the  business  men  generally 
accepting  the  telephone  as  a  necessity.  Two  years  later 
the  number  of  telephones  installed  was  nearly  doubled, — 
one  thousand — and  V.  E.  Lanestrom  was  manager  of  the 
plant. 

On  July  4,  1892,  when  the  Evanston  Boat  Club  was 
entertaining  the  public  at  Davis  Street  pier  with  fireworks 
and  boat  races,  a  rocket  exploded  near  the  bundle  of  fire- 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  449 

works,  and  instantly  there  followed  confusion  and  uproar. 
An  exploding  rocket  pierced  the  body  of  sixteen-year-old 
Tunis  Isbester,  who  died  instantly.  Elsworth  M.  Board 
dropped  through  an  opening  in  the  pier  to  avoid  being 
hurt,  and  David  Nioyes  escaped  by  a  miracle.  That  was 
the  last  time  for  many  years  there  were  fireworks  for 
entertainment  in  Evanston. 

J.  Seymour  Currey  says  Northwestern  University 
was  the  first  to  recognize  the  sterling  qualities  of  Theo- 
dore Eoosevelt.  On  June  15,  1893,  Theodore  Roosevelt 
was  invited  by  the  faculty  to  make  the  principal  address 
at  the  commencement  exercises.  At  that  time,  he  was  but 
thirty-five  years  of  age,  and  not  extensively  known  out- 
side of  New  York  State.  Following  the  conferring  of 
degrees,  the  honorary  degree  of  doctor  of  laws  was  con- 
ferred upon  Mr.  Eoosevelt. 

Fort  Dearborn  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution  was  organized  June  6,  1894.  In 
response  to  an  invitation  from  Miss  Cornelia  Lunt,  forty 
ladies  gathered  at  her  home  on  this  date.  The  stars  and 
stripes  waved  gayly  over  the  lawn  and  held  places  of 
honor  throughout  the  house.  Carnations  of  the  national 
colors  decorated  the  rooms,  the  blue  carnations  exciting 
admiring  comment. 

The  State  Regent,  Mrs.  S.  H.  Kerfoot,  confirmed  the 
organization  of  the  chapter,  and  presented  the  charter. 
The  charter,  which  hangs  in  the  rooms  of  the  Evanston 
Historical  Society,  contains  the  following  names  of  char- 
ter members:  Mrs.  Sarah  Welles  Burt,  Mrs.  Laura 
Houston  Wallingf ord,  Mrs.  Cornelia  Augusta  Gray  Lunt, 
Mrs.  Fanny  Lincoln  Kirkman,  Mrs.  Esther  Stockton 
Cook,  Mrs.  Emily  Huntington  Miller,  Mrs.  Isabella  Hunt 


450        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

White  Fuller,  Mrs.  Ellen  C.  Gillette  Ward,  Mrs.  Maria 
Whipple  Deering,  Mrs.  Maria  Ford  Holabird,  Mrs.  Laura 
Hurlbut  Wilder,  and  Miss  Estelle  Frances  Ward. 

The  officers  elected  were  Miss  Cornelia  Lunt,  Regent; 
Mrs.  Sarah  Welles  Burt,  Vice-Regent ;  Miss  Sarah  Wat- 
son Gillette,  Registrar ;  Miss  Lucy  Elizabeth  White,  Sec- 
retary, and  Miss  Eliza  A.  Stone,  Treasurer.  Seventeen 
ladies  became  members,  and  eighteen  became  potential 
members.  The  name,  Fort  Dearborn,  was  chosen  in  mem- 
ory of  the  old  fort  that  gave  protection  to  the  gallant 
garrison,  and  to  the  early  settlers  of  Chicago. 

In  1897  Mrs.  Julia  R.  Stone,  whose  father,  Shubael 
Stone,  enlisted  in  the  Revolutionary  War  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen, was  made  an  honorary  member  of  the  chapter.  She 
was  in  her  eightieth  year. 

Patriotic  purpose  is  back  of  all  the  work  of  the 
Society.  In  one  year  alone  the  National  Society  spent 
over  $74,000  in  patriotic  work  among  forty-four  nationali- 
ties. The  census  of  1920  showed  that  of  the  14,000,000 
foreign-born,  less  than  43  per  cent  were  naturalized,  which 
proves  that  a  tremendous  amount  of  Americanization 
work  is  needed.  The  preservation  of  local  records  and 
traditions  is  one  of  the  lines  of  the  Society's  work.  Wher- 
ever a  chapter  of  this  Society  exists,  there  will  be  found 
its  members  working  earnestly  and  effectively  "  for  Home 
and  Country." 

Dr.  Oscar  H.  Mann,  the  city's  first  mayor,  served 
three  years,  as  he  was  re-elected.  He  was  succeeded  by 
William  A.  Dyche,  who  in  turn,  was  succeeded  in  1899  by 
Thomas  Bates,  who  had  been  a  Village  Trustee  for  two 
years.  Mr.  Bates  was  nominated  for  the  second  term, 
but  he  declined  a  re-election. 


452       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

It  is  interesting  to  know  that  Evanston  had  a  share 
in  politics  in  the  early  years,  both  in  the  state,  and  in 
broader  fields.  In  Miss  Willard's  Classic  Town,  under 
Evanston  in  Politics,  written  by  Honorable  Edward  S. 
Taylor,  we  glean  the  following :  In  1861  Julius  White  was 
appointed  by  Abraham  Lincoln  collector  of  the  port  of 
Chicago,  considered  the  most  honorable  of  the  presiden- 
tial appointments  in  the  northwest.  General  White  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners 
under  the  constitution  of  1870,  and  became  its  first  presi- 
dent. In  1872  he  was  appointed  by  General  Grant  min- 
ister to  the  Argentine  Republic. 

In  1863  John  Evans  was  appointed  by  President  Lin- 
coln governor  of  the  Territory  of  Colorado. 

In  1862  President  Lincoln  selected  Professor  W.  P. 
Jones,  founder  and  for  many  years  president  of  the 
Northwestern  Female  College,  consul  to  China. 

For  twenty-two  years  consecutively,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  thirty-third  general  assembly  from  1883  to 
1885,  Evanston  had  a  representative  in  the  state  admin- 
istration, either  in  the  executive  or  the  legislative  depart- 
ment. In  1866  Edward  S.  Taylor,  who  had  for  three  years 
represented  Evanston  in  the  board  of  supervisors,  was 
elected  a  representative  in  the  twenty-fifth  general 
assembly.  During  his  term  the  park  system  of  Chicago 
was  inaugurated.  He  was  re-elected  to  the  twenty-sixth 
general  assembly  in  1868. 

John  L.  Beveridge  (sheriff  of  Cook  County  in  1868) 
was  elected  to  the  State  Senate  in  1870 ;  in  1872  General 
Beveridge  was  elected  lieutenant-governor.  When  Gov- 
ernor Oglesby  was  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate, 
General  Beveridge  became  governor,  and  served  the  unex- 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  453 

pired  term  of  three  years.  In  1882  he  was  appointed  by 
President  Arthur  sub-treasurer. 

Andrew  Shuman,  editor  of  the  Chicago  Journal  for 
many  years,  was  elected  lieutenant-governor  in  1876, 
and  presided  over  the  state  senate  during  the  terms 
of  the  thirtieth  and  thirty-first  general  assembly.  Gen- 
eral Oglesby  appointed  him  commissioner  of  the  peni- 
tentiary. 

In  1880  John  H.  Kedzie,  Esq.,  was  selected  as  a  rep- 
resentative in  the  thirty-second  general  assembly. 

In  1884  Harry  S.  Boutell  was  elected  to  the  thirty- 
fourth  general  assembly. 

In  1886  C.  G.  Neeley  was  elected  to  the  thirty-fifth 
general  assembly. 

George  S.  Baker,  for  several  years  head  of  the  public 
schools  in  Evanston,  was  elected  to  the  thirty-sixth  gen- 
eral assembly  in  1888. 

Harvey  B.  Hurd,  in  1869,  was  appointed  by  General 
Palmer  one  of  a  commission  of  three  to  revise  the  laws 
after  the  adoption  of  the  state  constitution. 

Mr.  Daniel  Shepard  was  for  many  years  secretary  of 
the  Republican  State  Committee. 

Judge  Walter  B.  Scates  was  at  one  time  Chief  Jus- 
tice of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois.  He,  with  another, 
compiled  the  statutes  of  Illinois,  after  the  adoption  of 
the  constitution  in  1848,  known  as  the  Scates  and  Black- 
well  Revision.  In  1866  President  Johnson  appointed  him 
collector  of  the  port  of  Chicago. 

Honorable  Burton  C.  Cook  was  a  member  of  the  state 
senate  from  1852  to  1860.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
peace  conference  in  1861  by  appointment  of  his  old 
friend  President  Lincoln.    He  was  representative  in  the 


454       EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

thirty-ninth,  fortieth  and  forty-first  congresses,  from 
1864  to  1870. 

Evanston  has  produced  such  a  great  number  of 
authors  that  it  is  impossible  to  do  more  than  name  those 
who  have  published  books  (previous  to  1900).  J.  Sey- 
mour Currey,  author  of  the  history  of  Chicago,  entitled 
Chicago,  Its  History  and  Its  Builders,  of  which  30,000 
sets  were  ordered  before  the  book  was  put  on  the  market, 
says  in  his  article  on  Evanston  authors,  in  Hurd's  His- 
tory of  Evanston,  "The  literary  life  of  Evanston  began 
with  the  establishment  of  the  Northwestern  University  in 
1855.  .  .  .  This  created  an  atmosphere  that  was  favorable 
to  the  growth  of  every  form  of  literary  activity,  and  the 
book  publishers,  as  well  as  those  of  journals  and  periodi- 
cals, soon  became  familiar  with  the  names  of  Evanston 
people  as  authors  and  contributors.' '  Mr.  Currey  goes 
on  to  say  that  both  Edward  Eggleston  and  Frances  Wil- 
lard  began  their  literary  careers  in  Evanston. 

The  following  list,  which  Mr.  Currey  does  not  claim 
is  complete,  is  of  authors  who  have  published  books,  and 
who,  at  some  period  of  their  lives,  lived  in  Evanston: 
Isaac  Emens  Adams,  A.  T.  Andreas,  Mrs.  Rena  Michaels 
Atchison,  Charles  Beach  Atwell,  M.  Helen  Beckwith, 
Katharine  Beebe,  Charles  Wesley  Bennett,  Henry  Leoni- 
das  Boltwood,  Lewis  Henry  Boutell,  Frank  Milton  Bris- 
tol, Solon  Cary  Bronson,  Walter  Lee  Brown,  William 
Caldwell,  Henry  Smith  Carhart,  George  Chainey,  J.  Scott 
Clark,  Samuel  Travers  Clover,  George  Albert  Coe,  Lyman 
Edgar  Cooley,  Edwin  C.  Crawford,  Henry  Crew,  Robert 
McLean  Cumnock,  Nathan  Smith  Davis,  Sr.,  M.D.,  L.L.D., 
Nathan  Smith  Davis,  Jr.,  Edward  Eggleston,  Finley 
Ellingwood,  Frank  Maca  jah  Elliot,  Joseph  Emerson,  Mar- 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  455 

shall  Davis  Ewell,  Charles  Samuel  Farrar,  Randolph 
Sinks  Foster,  Francis  Gellatly,  Anna  Adams  Gordon, 
Ulysses  Sherman  Grant,  John  Henry  Gray,  Evarts 
Boutell  Greene,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Morrisson  Boynton  Har- 
bert,  James  Taft  Hatfield,  Erastus  Otis  Haven,  Henry 
Bixby  Hemenway,  Newell  Dwight  Hillis,  Rosa  Birch 
Hitch,  Jane  Currie  Hoge,  Thomas  Franklin  Holgate, 
George  Washington  Hough,  Mary  Hess  Hull,  Harvey 
Bostwick  Hurd,  Edward  Janes  James,  James  Alton  James, 
William  Patterson  Jones,  John  Hume  Kedzie,  Daniel 
Parish  Kidder,  Homer  H.  Kingsley,  Nellie  Fitch  Kings- 
ley,  Marshall  Monroe  Kirkman,  Samuel  Ellsworth  Kiser, 
Loren  Laertes  Knox,  John  Harper  Long,  William  C. 
Levere,  Arthur  Wilde  Little,  Charles  Joseph  Little,  Wil- 
liam Sinclair  Lord,  Mrs.  Catherine  Waugh  McCulloch, 
William  Smythe  Babcock  Matthews,  Samuel  Merwin,  Mrs. 
Emily  Huntington  Miller,  William  Dick  Nesbit,  Mary 
Louise  Ninde,  Mrs.  Minerva  Brace  Norton,  Samuel  Nel- 
son Patten,  Charles  William  Pearson,  William  Frederick 
Poole,  Miner  Raymond,  Henry  Bascon  Ridgaway,  Charles 
Humphrey  Roberts,  Henry  Wade  Rogers,  Robert  Dickin- 
son Sheppard,  Matthew  Simpson,  Alice  Bunker  Stock- 
ham,  Charles  Macaulay  Stuart,  Milton  Spenser  Terry, 
David  Decamp  Thompson,  Edward.  Thomson,  Charles 
Burton  Thwing,  Henry  Kitchell  Webster,  David  Hilton 
Wheeler,  Mrs.  Irene  Grosvenor  Wheelock,  John  Henry 
Wigmore,  Mrs.  Caroline  McCoy  Willard,  Frances  Eliza- 
beth Willard,  Josiah  Flynt  Willard,  S.  R.  Winchell, 
Erwin  E.  Wood,  Abram  Van  Eps  Young,  Jane  Eggleston 
Zimmerman,  Charles  Zueblin,  Frank  Grover. 

The  publications  of  the  authors  mentioned  include 
books  on  Bibliography,  Political  Economy  and  Law,  Phi- 


456        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

lology,  Science,  Art  and  Music,  Fiction,  Essays  and 
Poetry,  Biography  and  History,  and  are  not  all  confined 
to  the  English  Language. 

In  1900  Evanston,  a  residential  City  Beautiful,  had  a 
population  of  over  20,000.  Not  quite  three-quarters  of  a 
century  before,  the  first  white  man  had  built  his  cabin 
along  the  shore — Stephen  J.  Scott.  John  Quincy  Adams 
was  then  the  president  of  the  United  States.  During  his 
administration,  the  first  edition  of  the  most  used  book  in 
the  country  was  published,  Noah  Webster's  dictionary. 
In  1832  the  first  lake  steamers  reached  Chicago  from  Buf- 
falo. In  1833,  when  Andrew  Jackson  was  president,  the 
nation  did  not  owe  a  dollar — the  national  debt  was  paid ! 

About  1835  John  Frink,  later  of  the  Frink  and 
Walker  Stage  Line,  wrote  from  Illinois  to  Major  John 
Morgan  in  Massachusetts,  "John,  come  out  here.  This 
is  God's  country.  Leave  the  rocks  and  come  where  you 
can  plow  a  straight  furrow  a  mile  long  without  striking  a 
stump  or  a  stone." 

In  1836  when  Arunah  Hill  came  to  the  Ridge,  Chi- 
cago streets  were  full  of  Indians  and  its  river  was  filled 
with  their  canoes.  Thousands  of  yellow  canaries  built 
their  nests  in  the  bushes  along  the  shore,  north  of  the 
white  birch  trees  that  grew  on  the  former  site  of  Rogers 
Park.  Deer  roamed  at  will  over  the  ridges  and  waded  the 
swamp. 

The  end  of  the  century  saw  a  far  different  picture. 
In  a  short  space  of  time  an  up-to-the-minute  city  had 
risen,  where  once  grew  swamp  grasses  and  forest  trees. 
Dr.  D.  H.  Burnham,  Director  of  Works  at  the  World's 
Fair  in  1893,  said,  "Evanston  is  the  most  beautiful  city 
in  the  world."    William  C.  Levere  went  a  step  further  in 


GENERAL  HISTORY  FROM  1870  TO  1900  457 

his  assertion  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  a  pioneer  in  1898, 
"He  found  the  place  a  wilderness,  and  when  he  died, 
Evanston  was  the  most  civilized  city  in  the  world. ' '  And 
so  we  leave  Evanston  in  1900,  Evanston — to  all  Evans- 
tonians — the  gem  suburb  of  one  of  the  greatest  cities  in 
the  world. 


ADDENDA 

John  Evans 

EVANSTON  may  well  be  proud  that  it  owes  its  exist- 
ence to  such  men  as  John  Evans  and  Orrington  Lunt, 
and,  because  it  commemorates  the  name  of  the  former,  a 
brief  sketch  of  his  life  is  here  given. 

John  Evans  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Waynesville, 
Ohio,  of  sturdy  Quaker  stock,  March  9,  1814.  Edgar 
Carlisle  McMechen  says :  ' i  The  Evans  family  is  of  Welch 
extraction,  and  traces  its  descent  to  Eylstand  Glodrydd, 
founder  of  the  fourth  royal  tribe  of  Wales." 

John  Evans'  grandfather,  Benjamin  Evans,  married 
Hannah  Smith  in  North  Carolina  about  1790,  and  became 
a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  He  removed  in  1802 
to  Ohio,  as  his  conscience  would  not  allow  him  to  dwell 
in  a  slave-holding  state.  John  Evans '  father,  David, 
married  Eachel  Burnet,  who  is  spoken  of  in  McMechen's 
book  as  a  stern  Quakeress.  David,  after  his  marriage, 
became  a  farmer,  but  continued  in  his  father's  occupation 
as  a  manufacturer  of  tools,  and  was  rated  as  a  wealthy 
man.  His  son  John  was  the  oldest  of  eleven  children. 
John's  Quaker  mother,  Hannah,  found  time,  besides  car- 
ing for  her  eleven  children,  to  sing  her  hymns  before 
saloon  doors  and  exhort  the  saloon-frequenters  to  abjure 
the  "poisonous  concoctions  of  the  Evil  One,"  occasion- 
ally following  a  "tippler"  home,  where,  in  the  presence 
of  his  wife  and  children,  she  would  fervently  pray  for  his 
redemption.  Such  was  the  background  of  John  Evans' 
youth,  whose  whole  life  reflected  his  religious  training. 

A  cousin,  Benjamin  Evans,  influenced  John  in  his 
choice  of  a  medical  career.  The  two  boys  were  employed 
in  the  merchandise  store  of  John's  father,  "counter-hop- 
pers," they  called  themselves.    Benjamin  had  already 


ADDENDA  459 

decided  on  entering  a  medical  school,  while  John  had  a 
literary  career  in  mind  and  had  gained  a  reputation  of 
being  a  "poemster" — an  accomplishment  regarded  with 
contempt  by  the  elder  Quaker  generation.  The  younger 
generation,  especially  the  young  lady  cousins,  declared  he 
wrote  beautiful  verses. 

Before  his  twentieth  birthday  John  persuaded  his 
parents  to  send  him  to  the  Academy  at  Richmond,  Indi- 
ana, as  he  had  had  only  a  common  school  education.  His 
letters  to  his  cousin,  Benjamin,  are  filled  with  "thys" 
and  "thees."  They  are  preserved  by  his  descendants 
and  are  of  more  than  ordinary  interest.  He  ends  his  let- 
ters asking  for  a  "sheetful"  in  return.  With  postage  at 
twenty-five  cents  per  letter,  and  transportation  by  stage- 
coach, failure  to  answer  a  letter  was  a  grievous  offense, 
and  a  good  letter-writer's  sheetful  consisted  of  the  sheet 
written  full  in  black  ink,  then  criss-crossed  -in  red. 

John's  year  at  the  Academy  at  Richmond,  where 
there  were  but  eight  young  men,  was  followed  by  his 
enrollment  at  a  Quaker  school  at  Philadelphia,  the 
Gwynedd  Boarding  School  for  boys.  From  this  school 
John  wrote  to  Benjamin  that  he  had  taken  up  chemistry 
to  fit  himself  for  the  study  of  medicine.  In  regard  to 
algebra  and  philosophy  he  wrote:  "They  are  both  pleas- 
ing studies,  and  I  would  rather  read  philosophy  than  eat 
peach  pie. ' ' 

The  father  and  mother  were  not  in  sympathy  with 
John  in  his  ambition  to  learn  the  "doctoring  trade,"  as 
they  did  not  consider  it  a  high  calling.  One  brother  wrote 
him :  "  It  is  true  it  is  not  the  top-gallant  of  education. ' ' 

The  Quaker  school  proved  a  disappointment  to  John, 
which  was  revealed  in  a  letter  to  Benjamin,  in  which  he 
boyishly  says :  "I  am  all  the  time  mad  at  old  Gwynedd 
School.    The  old  fellow  is  as  dumb  as  a  goat." 

Benjamin  continued  to  urge  John  to  study  medicine, 
and  answered,  refuting  the  arguments  of  John 's  family : 
"The  character  of  the  humane,  moral,  Christian,  scien- 
tific physician  proximates  the  Diety  more  closely  than  the 


460        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

character  of  any  other  man,"  and  derided  the  man  who 
entered  the  profession  for  mere  livelihood.  This  letter 
decided  John  in  his  choice.  However,  he  wrote  to  his 
father  that  he  would  not  persist  in  the  study  of  medicine 
if  his  father  did  not  consent,  saying:  "Thy  word  is  sover- 
eign, and  I  hope  to  be  dutiful. ' '  So  the  father  i '  reckoned 
John  would  have  to  be  a  doctor,"  and  John  was  jubilant. 
After  studying  two  winters  at  Lynn  Medical  College  in 
Cincinnati,  he  graduated  in  1838.  The  death  of  his  favor- 
ite cousin,  Benjamin,  some  time  before  this,  was  a  great 
blow  to  him.  After  his  graduation,  John  left  Ohio  with 
a  pony,  a  saddle,  and  a  ten-dollar  bill,  which  were  pre- 
sented to  him  by  his  father.  Crossing  the  rough  frontier 
country  of  Indiana,  he  settled  in  Hennepin,  Illinois,  where 
he  did  not  remain  long.  In  1839  he  married  Hannah 
Canby.  After  residing  a  short  time  in  Milton,  Miami 
County,  Ohio,  the  young  couple  removed  to  Attica,  Indi- 
ana, a  place  largely  settled  by  friends  from  John's  old 
neighborhood.  Within  two  years,  John  built  up  a  large 
practice,  and  was  one  of  the  town's  most  influential 
citizens. 

John  Evans'  long  friendship  with  Bishop  Simpson 
commenced  in  Attica  in  1841. 

The  reputation  of  dreamer  had  already  been  given  to 
John  Evans  by  his  friends  in  Attica.  One  day  he  re- 
marked that  before  he  died  he  "intended  to  build  a  city, 
found  a  college,  become  governor  of  one  of  the  states  of 
the  Union,  go  to  the  United  States  Senate,  amass  a  for- 
tune, and  make  himself  famous."  Step  by  step  this 
prediction  came  true,  and  his  Attica  friends  in  later  years 
often  repeated  his  words. 

Dr.  Evans,  while  residing  in  Attica,  began  to  publish 
articles  in  regard  to  founding  hospitals  for  the  care  of 
the  insane,  who,  in  Indiana,  were  then  kept  in  jails  and 
poorhouses.  Widespread  interest  in  the  subject  was 
aroused,  and  in  1848  two  wards  of  an  insane  hospital 
were  completed,  five  patients  were  accepted,  and  Dr. 
Evans  was  made  the  first  superintendent.  The  two  wards 


ADDENDA  461 

were  the  nucleus  of  the  Central  Indiana  Hospital  for  the 
Insane,  located  at  Indianapolis.  About  1845  Dr.  Evans 
became  a  faculty  member  of  Rush  Medical  College  in  Chi- 
cago. For  three  years  he  taught  as  a  professor,  and 
later  he  was  elected  to  a  chair  in  that  institution.  He 
edited  the  Northwestern  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal 
until  1852. 

John  Evans  was  one  of  the  founders  of  Mercy  Hos- 
pital, which  had  its  beginning  as  the  "Illinois  General 
Hospital  of  the  Lakes. ' '  Great  difficulty  was  encountered 
in  securing  women  as  nurses.  In  1849,  during  the  cholera 
epidemic,  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  served  with  devotion  and 
sacrifice,  and  Dr.  Evans  and  Dr.  N.  S.  Davis  petitioned 
the  Bishop  of  Chicago  to  permit  the  Sisters  to  take  over 
the  work.  On  February  22,  1851,  the  control  of  the  hos- 
pital passed  into  the  nuns'  hands. 

In  1849  Dr.  Evans  wrote  his  famous  " Observations' ' 
on  cholera  in  the  Northwestern  Medical  and  Surgical 
Journal,  asserting  it  was  a  communicable  disease.  How- 
ever, not  until  1866  was  this  theory  accepted  by  the  pro- 
fession, at  which  time  the  National  Quarantine  Law  (for 
which  he  was  largely  responsible)  was  passed. 

In  1850,  two  years  after  moving  to  Chicago,  Dr. 
Evans'  wife  died,  leaving  a  half-grown  daughter,  Joseph- 
ine. Mrs.  Evans'  body  was  taken  overland  by  wagon  to 
Attica  for  burial. 

Dr.  Evans'  connection  with  the  founding  of  North- 
western University  has  already  been  related.  This  insti- 
tution, to  use  his  own  words,  was  to  be  a  place  "where 
Christian  education  could  be  dispensed  without  money 
and  without  price."  His  gifts  to  the  LTniversity  totaled 
approximately  $181,000. 

He  built  the  Methodist  Church  Block  and  was  one  of 
the  projectors  of  the  Northwestern  Christian  Advocate 
,and  the  Methodist  Book  Concern. 

In  1850  he  and  his  partner,  Dr.  Daniel  Brainerd, 
erected  the  Evans  Block  in  Chicago.  Among  its  first 
tenants  were  the   Chicago  post  office  and  the  Chicago 


462        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Tribune.  The  four  lots,  on  which  this  building  was 
erected,  were  located  on  the  east  side  of  Clark  Street, 
south  of  the  alley,  between  Bandolph  and  Lake  Streets. 
The  partners  took  a  twenty-year  lease  at  $1,000  a  year 
and  taxes.  The  building  was  crowded  with  tenants  from 
the  first  and  the  owner  of  the  lots  soon  sued  for  annul- 
ment of  the  lease.  Dr.  Evans,  with  his  father,  who  had 
become  reconciled  to  his  son's  profession,  bought  out  the 
partner,  fought  the  suit  and  compromised  on  a  rental  of 
$3,000  a  year.  The  property  brought  an  annual  rental  of 
$50,000,  which  at  the  end  of  the  twenty-year  lease 
amounted  to  $1,000,000.  This  was  Dr.  Evans'  first  great 
real  estate  transaction. 

In  1853  Dr.  Evans  organized  a  Board  of  Instruction 
in  Chicago.  Up  to  that  time  Chicago  had  never  been 
placed  educationally  on  a  systematic  basis.  Dr.  Evans 
was  elected  alderman  on  a  school-advancement  program, 
and  was  immediately  appointed  chairman  of  the  Commit- 
tee on  Schools.  During  his  term  as  alderman,  1853  and 
1854,  three  schools  were  established,  one  of  them  Chica- 
go's first  high  school.  The  doctor  nominated  and  secured 
the  election  of  the  first  superintendent  of  schools  in  Chi- 
cago, John  C.  Dore. 

During  the  time  Dr.  Evans  was  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Aldermen,  he  recommended  establishing  street 
grades  and  sidewalks.  The  City  Council  ordered  the  work 
of  grading  done,  which  forced  owners  to  fill  many  lots. 
Dr.  Evans  raised  the  entire  Evans  Block  several  feet. 
This  was  the  "  first  lakeshore  reclamation,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  great  improvement  which  gave  Chicago  ade- 
quate drainage  and  a  firm  foundation. ' ' 

In  1853  he  married  Margaret  Patten  Gray,  sister  of 
Mrs.  Orrington  Lunt. 

While  living  in  Evanston,  Dr.  Evans  became  inter- 
ested in  electricity  and  had  a  workshop  fitted  up  in  his 
basement  for  the  study  of  it.  In  later  years,  in  Denver, 
he  helped  his  son  organize  one  of  the  first  electrical  rail- 
ways in  the  world. 


ADDENDA  463 

About  1850  Dr.  Evans  took  his  initial  step  as  rail- 
road promoter  and  builder.  He  became  a  director  of  the 
Fort  Wayne  and  Chicago  railroad,  and  procured  the 
right-of-way  through  the  streets  and  through  Illinois  to 
the  Indiana  state  line,  paying  for  the  forty-acre  site  for 
the  station  $35,000.  One-half  of  this  terminal  site  was 
sold  the  next  year  to  the  Burlington  and  Quincy  railroad 
for  $140,000.  The  Chicago  Union  Depot  now  occupies 
the  grounds,  and  the  Pennsylvania  System  operates  the 
right-of-way. 

Dr.  Evans  was  a  pronounced  abolitionist,  "a  con- 
ductor on  the  underground  railway,"  attacking  slavery 
in  a  public  controversy  with  Judge  Skates  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Illinois,  the  controversy  being  carried  on 
through  the  columns  of  the  Chicago  Evening  Journal. 

President  Lincoln,  almost  immediately  after  his 
inauguration,  offered  Dr.  Evans  the  governorship  of 
Washington  Territory,  as  he  recognized  the  value  of 
sound  judgment  for  the  territories  at  this  critical  period. 
Dr.  Evans  decided  Washington  Territory  was  too  far 
removed  from  his  Chicago  business  interests  and  declined 
the  office.  The  governorship  of  Nebraska  territory,  which 
he  was  offered  later,  had  been  requested  by  a  son-in-law 
of  a  cabinet  member.  Before  giving  his  answer  to  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  in  regard  to  the  Colorado  Territory  guber- 
natorial post — the  third  post  of  its  kind  offered  him, — 
Dr.  Evans  made  the  trip  to  Colorado  from  Chicago  by 
stage-coach.  After  a  trip  across  the  plains  that  took 
thirteen  days  he  reached  Denver,  "a  sprawling  town  of 
frame  houses  with  its  three  thousand-odd  inhabitants, ' ' 
saw  the  prairie-schooners  of  the  immigrants,  the  patient 
oxen,  the  red-shirted  horsemen  passing  through  the  town, 
leading  pack  animals  upon  which  were  tied  the  gold-seek- 
ers '  picks  and  pans;  he  breathed  in  the  dry  atmosphere 
and  recognized  its  healing  properties  to  affected  lungs. 
Believing  it  would  benefit  his  daughter,  Josephine,  he 
decided  to  accept  the  President's  offer.  He  began  his 
duties  as  governor  of  the  Territory  of  Colorado  May  18, 


464        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

1862.  McMechen  says  that  no  war  governor  in  the  Union 
was  called  upon  to  meet  a  more  trying  situation.  Schuyler 
Colfax,  Speaker  of  the  House,  wrote  a  letter  to  President 
Andrew  Johnson  June  2,  1865,  in  which  he  said  he  did 
not  think  any  of  the  territories  had  a  better  governor. 

^  One  of  Governor  Evans'  first  acts  was  the  emanci- 
pation proclamation  which  resulted  in  the  freeing  of  the 
women  and  boys  of  the  Ute  and  Navajo  tribes,  who  had 
been  taken  by  the  enemy  tribe  and  sold  as  slaves  to  the 
Mexicans  and  Spaniards.  He  solved  the  Indian  problems 
wisely,  and  the  treaty,  signed  October  7,  1863,  was  con- 
sidered from  the  white  standpoint  the  most  successful 
ever  concluded  in  Colorado.  Governor  Evans  said  that 
singing  hymns  and  parading  school  books  around  were 
not  good  ways  to  civilize  the  Indians.  He  tried  a  new 
method,  showing  them  how  they  could  obtain  a  subsist- 
ence. He  used  the  appropriations  of  the  tribes  to  buy 
sheep  and  cattle,  of  which  he  gave  a  certain  number  to 
each  family,  instructing  them  not  to  kill  the  animals. 

In  Denver,  as  in  the  Middle  West,  Governor  Evans 
surrounded  himself  with  men  of  proven  ability  and  firm 
character,  which,  his  biographer  says,  was  one  of  the 
most  consistent  traits  of  his  life. 

From  the  day  Dr.  Evans  became  governor,  his  life 
was  filled  with  big  endeavors  and  big  results.  His 
daughter  said:  "My  earliest  recollections  of  father  are 
filled  with  an  atmosphere  of  expectancy.  Some  '  great 
scheme'  was  always  pending  or  about  to  be  realized."  At 
these  times  conversation  at  dinner  was  carried  on  in  an 
unobtrusive  manner. 

The  organizations  of  the  Eocky  Mountain  Confer- 
ence, and  later  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
of  Denver,  were  due  to  Governor  Evans'  efforts. 

Governor  Evans'  connection  with  the  railroad  in  the 
west  is  made  interesting  reading  by  his  biographer,  but 
can  only  be  touched  upon  here.  Denver,  within  a  six 
months'  period,  lost  nearly  half  of  its  population  to 
Cheyenne,  where  the  Kansas  Pacific  railroad  had  reached. 


ADDENDA  465 

Denver  was  apparently  doomed  to  an  inconspicuous 
future.  T.  C.  Durant,  Vice-President  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad,  said  Denver  was  too  dead  to  bury,  which  so 
enraged  the  Denverites  that  its  leaders  decided  to  "make 
a  city."  The  result  was  the  organization  of  a  Board  of 
Trade,  which  in  turn  organized  the  Denver  Pacific  Rail- 
road and  Telegraph  Company.  The  first  train  over  this 
road  to  reach  Evans,  Colorado, — a  town  half  way  between 
Cheyenne  and  Denver — was  on  December  16, 1869,  and  by 
acclamation  of  the  assembled  business  men  from  Denver 
and  Northern  Colorado  the  name  of  the  peak  known  as 
Rosalie  was  changed  to  Mount  Evans,  in  honor  of  the 
governor,  and  in  grateful  acknowledgment  of  their 
appreciation  of  his  bringing  the  railroad  to  them.  Mount 
Evans  is  situated  midway  between  Pike's  Peak  and 
Long's  Peak,  and  is  14,260  feet  in  height. 

The  Denver  Pacific  Railroad  was  completed  and 
opened  for  traffic  June  24,  1870,  to  the  cheerful  clamor 
of  the  Colorado  Seminary  bell,  and  the  first  locomotive 
owned  by  the  Union  Pacific  drew  a  special  train  into  Den- 
ver. To  Governor  Evans  was  assigned  the  honor  of  driv- 
ing the  silver  spike,  on  which  was  an  engraving  commem- 
orating the  event.  The  Georgetown  mayor  who  was  to 
bring  the  spike  was  delayed,  and  Governor  Evans  took 
an  ordinary  iron  spike,  wrapped  it  with  tin-foil  and 
"hammered  it  home.,,  The  silver  spike  arrived  soon 
afterward  and  it  is  now  treasured  in  the  Evans  family. 
The  construction  of  the  Denver  Pacific  Railroad  saved 
the  town  from  disaster.  In  ten  years  Denver's  popula- 
tion grew  from  4,000  to  34,000.  The  success  of  this  rail- 
road venture,  and  of  others  later,  was  largely  due  to  the 
work  of  Governor  Evans.  His  last  venture  as  a  railroad 
promoter  was  made  after  he  had  passed  is  eightieth 
birthday. 

Governor  Evans  resigned  his  office  August  1,  1865. 
Change  in  administration  and  mis-statements  of  fact  by 
his  political  enemies  caused  him  to  take  this  step. 

December   18,   1865,    John    Evans   and   Jerome   B. 


466        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

Chaffee  were  elected  senators  from  the  State  of  Colorado. 
The  first  movement  toward  statehood  for  Colorado  was 
defeated.  The  second  bill  for  statehood  was  passed  by 
Congress,  but  vetoed  by  President  Johnson.  Governor 
Evans  and  Mr.  Chaffee  were  assigned  seats  in  the  senate, 
but  they  could  not  exercise  their  rights  as  senators  until 
the  statehood  bill  was  passed.  Both  men  resigned  Sep- 
tember 25, 1866,  "to  clear  the  way  for  statehood,"  which 
did  not  come  until  1875. 

The  University  of  Denver,  beginning  as  the  Denver 
Seminary,  and  later  having  the  name  of  Colorado  Sem- 
inary, sinking  into  "a  state  of  coma  for  twelve  years," 
owed  its  birth  in  1864  and  its  rejuvenation  in  1876  to 
Governor  Evans.  The  University  is,  in  truth,  the  "peo- 
ple's university/ '  having  been  assisted  financially  by 
more  than  forty  thousand  persons. 

It  was  the  governor's  invariable  custom  to  contribute 
not  less  than  one  hundred  dollars  to  every  church  started 
in  Colorado,  regardless  of  denomination.  These  dona- 
tions were  not  always  confined  to  his  state;  sometimes 
churches  as  far  east  as  Washington  were  benefited. 

Governor  Evans,  high-minded,  open-hearted,  toler- 
ant, charitable — always  working  for  the  betterment  of  his 
fetlow-men,  with  no  motive  for  personal  gain — passed 
away  July  2, 1897.  President  Walter  Dill  Scott  of  North- 
western University  said  of  him :  "Not  even  John  Harvard 
or  Eli  Yale  contributed  more  to  the  cause  of  higher  edu- 
cation than  did  John  Evans." 

While  those  associated  with  John  Evans  in  his  busi- 
ness ventures  deserve  credit,  there  is  no  doubt  that  his 
was  the  "controlling  spirit  that  guided  the  destinies  of 
the  institutions,"  which  were  started  by  him. 

(The  data  for  the  foregoing  sketch  were  obtained  from  the  Life  of 
Governor  Evans  by  Edgar  Carlisle  McMechen.) 


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468        EVANSTON— ITS  LAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE 

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